Monday, June 30, 2003
No 'truce' in Iraq dossier row in BBC: War in Iraq
Q&A: The Iraq weapons row: "What is the row over the UK Government's evidence of Iraqi weapons all about?"
In BBC: War in Iraq
Q&A: The Iraq weapons row: "What is the row over the UK Government's evidence of Iraqi weapons all about?"
In BBC: War in Iraq
U.S. Returns Syrian Border Guards: "The five were wounded and captured on the Iraq-Syria border during a clash June 18 when forces attacked what they thought might be fleeing officials of Saddam Hussein's deposed regime."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Romanian worker dies in West Bank attack: "Israeli and Palestinian commanders shook hands Monday, bulldozers dismantled checkpoints and Palestinian traffic flowed freely in the Gaza Strip - the most significant sign of disengagement after 33 months of bloody fighting."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq Democracy Watch: "No extra for rebuilding
As armed resistance increases, the Jordan Times reports that, "Protecting the lives of US and British soldiers is taking precedence over reconstruction and the creation of a new government."
In other words, as I have been repeating ad nauseum recently, we don't have the manpower in Iraq to take care of both civilian and military objectives. And that means that living conditions in Iraq will stay well below the standards (?) that were in place while Hussein was in power and will likely continue to deteriorate for the foreseeable future.
Which feeds in to the resistance.
And prevents us from producing and selling the oil that is supposed to help fund this venture (although it is looking more and more like pin money in comparison with the costs of the occupation, even if we can get oil production running properly. See previous post .)
Multiple papers cited Senator Biden's call for NATO's help. We are also paying off other countries to send forces for that "international look," expensive in military ventures as it is in fashion. No one is touching the idea so far of UN peacekeepers. Or of sending more American troops.
We don't seem to be enlisting the help of the Iraqis, themselves, very well, either. The Washington Post quotes a policeman in Samarra saying,
Which may explain why we don't seem to be getting a great deal of help from the police at the local levels. Who, by the way, might be uneasy about looking like they are too close to the Americans -- an increasingly dangerous thing to do. Just speculation, but it would make unfortunate sense.
While most historical analogies are misleading, the situation is beginning to look a bit like the occupied territories in Israel / Palestine -- at least in terms of what looks like a cycle taking shape -- of resistance, and then counter-resistance using "overwhelming combat power" (as The Guardian quoted US officials describing the latest offensive). Which then radicalizes the opposition, etc., etc.
It is also interesting that the Brits seem to be taking lessons from their experience in Northern Ireland, and handling things a bit better in the south. Compare that to Paul Bremer telling the BBC yesterday that we were going to "impose our will."
The core problem, of course, is that -- despite Mr. Rumsfeld's coyness -- we are, indeed, encountering guerilla operations. And the US has never done particularly well fighting guerillas without proxy forces."
When the U.S. says jump, it wants Pakistan to jump (29 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Are U.S. journalists truly spineless? (30 June 03) in Radio Free USA
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Romanian worker dies in West Bank attack: "Israeli and Palestinian commanders shook hands Monday, bulldozers dismantled checkpoints and Palestinian traffic flowed freely in the Gaza Strip - the most significant sign of disengagement after 33 months of bloody fighting."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq Democracy Watch: "No extra for rebuilding
As armed resistance increases, the Jordan Times reports that, "Protecting the lives of US and British soldiers is taking precedence over reconstruction and the creation of a new government."
In other words, as I have been repeating ad nauseum recently, we don't have the manpower in Iraq to take care of both civilian and military objectives. And that means that living conditions in Iraq will stay well below the standards (?) that were in place while Hussein was in power and will likely continue to deteriorate for the foreseeable future.
Which feeds in to the resistance.
And prevents us from producing and selling the oil that is supposed to help fund this venture (although it is looking more and more like pin money in comparison with the costs of the occupation, even if we can get oil production running properly. See previous post .)
Multiple papers cited Senator Biden's call for NATO's help. We are also paying off other countries to send forces for that "international look," expensive in military ventures as it is in fashion. No one is touching the idea so far of UN peacekeepers. Or of sending more American troops.
We don't seem to be enlisting the help of the Iraqis, themselves, very well, either. The Washington Post quotes a policeman in Samarra saying,
No one is happy with the Americans, no one in this entire area... They are occupiers, and they act as occupiers. It's a military force and we don't want to have any relations with them.
Which may explain why we don't seem to be getting a great deal of help from the police at the local levels. Who, by the way, might be uneasy about looking like they are too close to the Americans -- an increasingly dangerous thing to do. Just speculation, but it would make unfortunate sense.
While most historical analogies are misleading, the situation is beginning to look a bit like the occupied territories in Israel / Palestine -- at least in terms of what looks like a cycle taking shape -- of resistance, and then counter-resistance using "overwhelming combat power" (as The Guardian quoted US officials describing the latest offensive). Which then radicalizes the opposition, etc., etc.
It is also interesting that the Brits seem to be taking lessons from their experience in Northern Ireland, and handling things a bit better in the south. Compare that to Paul Bremer telling the BBC yesterday that we were going to "impose our will."
The core problem, of course, is that -- despite Mr. Rumsfeld's coyness -- we are, indeed, encountering guerilla operations. And the US has never done particularly well fighting guerillas without proxy forces."
When the U.S. says jump, it wants Pakistan to jump (29 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Are U.S. journalists truly spineless? (30 June 03) in Radio Free USA
George W. Bush: God's errand boy?: ""So now we know. After all the mountains of commentary and speculation, all the earnest debates over motives and goals, all the detailed analyses of global strategy and political ideology, it all comes to down to this: George W. Bush waged war on Iraq because, in his own words, God 'instructed me to strike at Saddam.' No votes, no inspections, no proof or lack of proof -- in fact, no earthly reason whatsoever -- could have stopped Bush's aggressive war on Iraq. It was God's unalterable will." Chris Floyd, writing in The Moscow Times, provides an analysis of Bush-think that alternates between the hilarious and the terrifying."
In Electronic Iraq
U.S. Signals Saddam May Be Alive Amid Crackdown: "A top U.S. official signaled Washingtonbelieves Saddam Hussein may be alive as U.S. forces launched anoperation to crack down on armed resistance blamed on die-hardsupporters of the toppled Iraqi leader. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi Intifada Gearing Up: "The Iraqi intifada hits second gear, and weapons of mass destruction fade ever further from the news pages."
In Back to Iraq 2.0
In Electronic Iraq
U.S. Signals Saddam May Be Alive Amid Crackdown: "A top U.S. official signaled Washingtonbelieves Saddam Hussein may be alive as U.S. forces launched anoperation to crack down on armed resistance blamed on die-hardsupporters of the toppled Iraqi leader. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi Intifada Gearing Up: "The Iraqi intifada hits second gear, and weapons of mass destruction fade ever further from the news pages."
In Back to Iraq 2.0
Big U.S. RaidsTarget Fighters in Central Iraq
From: spliffslips
War Blog Iraq War Update Sidewinder
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Big U.S. RaidsTarget Fighters in Central Iraq
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 30, 2003
Camp Boom, Iraq - U.S. forces kicked off a massive sweep yesterday, raiding more than 20 towns across a wide swath of Iraq and netting at least 60 suspects in a show of air and infantry power designed to crush resistance and stem a wave of deadly attacks on American troops.
The raids by the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse troops came as the U.S. civilian administrator of Iraq said American forces must kill or capture Saddam Hussein so he can no longer be a rallying point for anti-coalition attacks.
The latest operation began at 2 a.m. local time across an area of central Iraq stretching from the Iranian border to areas north of Baghdad. It is expected to last for several days, according to military officials in Camp Boom, near Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad.
The region has become "the nexus of paramilitary activity in central Iraq," the military said in a statement.
There were no reports of U.S. casualties, the military said, nor was there any indication that the operation had netted any of the most-wanted Iraqi fugitives.
"We go in with such overwhelming combat power that they won't even think about shooting us," Lt. Col. Mark Young said before the start of the operation.
The raids targeted loyalists from Hussein's former Baath Party, "terrorists suspected of perpetrating attacks against U.S. forces and former Iraqi military leaders," the military said.
At least 63 American soldiers have died in Iraq since major combat was declared over May 1, close to one-third of them killed in attacks, raising the total U.S. death toll to more than 200 since the March 20 start of the war. Some 42 British forces have died.
The American forces arrested a man in Khalis, 45 miles north of Baghdad, suspected of recruiting others to launch attacks on U.S. troops. In Dojima, police raided the homes of alleged Hussein loyalists they suspected of hiding arms, including rocket-propelled grenades - the weapon used in many recent ambushes.
The military also announced the arrest Saturday of 15 suspects in Mosul, in northern Iraq, confiscating Baath Party documents and Republican Guard uniforms, as well as weapons.
Insurgents have stepped up their attacks against U.S. troops in recent days, carrying out ambushes against military convoys, shooting soldiers and lobbing grenades. U.S. officials in Washington have said repeatedly that no centralized Iraqi resistance to American rule remains, but commanders on the ground suggest some organization.
Young called the resistance in areas northeast of Baghdad "an organized effort." Capt. John Wrann, also involved in the new operation, said: "It's got to be a coordinated thing."
The top U.S. official in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, stressed the need to capture Hussein. "I think it is important that we either catch him or kill him," Bremer told the BBC. "There is no doubt that the fact that we have not been able to show his fate allows the remnants of the Baath regime to go around the bazaars and villages and say Saddam will come back, so do not cooperate with the coalition."
Bremer said progress was being made in restoring basic services to the country such as health care, water and power. He said Baghdad now had 18 to 20 hours of electricity a day and that law and order would soon be restored. "Am I satisfied? No," Bremer said. "We will do our best, and we will succeed. I do not know when that will be."
Copyright (c) 2003, Newsday, Inc.
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-woiraq303353034jun30,0,6032851.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
War Blog Iraq War Update Sidewinder
--------------------
Big U.S. RaidsTarget Fighters in Central Iraq
--------------------
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 30, 2003
Camp Boom, Iraq - U.S. forces kicked off a massive sweep yesterday, raiding more than 20 towns across a wide swath of Iraq and netting at least 60 suspects in a show of air and infantry power designed to crush resistance and stem a wave of deadly attacks on American troops.
The raids by the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse troops came as the U.S. civilian administrator of Iraq said American forces must kill or capture Saddam Hussein so he can no longer be a rallying point for anti-coalition attacks.
The latest operation began at 2 a.m. local time across an area of central Iraq stretching from the Iranian border to areas north of Baghdad. It is expected to last for several days, according to military officials in Camp Boom, near Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad.
The region has become "the nexus of paramilitary activity in central Iraq," the military said in a statement.
There were no reports of U.S. casualties, the military said, nor was there any indication that the operation had netted any of the most-wanted Iraqi fugitives.
"We go in with such overwhelming combat power that they won't even think about shooting us," Lt. Col. Mark Young said before the start of the operation.
The raids targeted loyalists from Hussein's former Baath Party, "terrorists suspected of perpetrating attacks against U.S. forces and former Iraqi military leaders," the military said.
At least 63 American soldiers have died in Iraq since major combat was declared over May 1, close to one-third of them killed in attacks, raising the total U.S. death toll to more than 200 since the March 20 start of the war. Some 42 British forces have died.
The American forces arrested a man in Khalis, 45 miles north of Baghdad, suspected of recruiting others to launch attacks on U.S. troops. In Dojima, police raided the homes of alleged Hussein loyalists they suspected of hiding arms, including rocket-propelled grenades - the weapon used in many recent ambushes.
The military also announced the arrest Saturday of 15 suspects in Mosul, in northern Iraq, confiscating Baath Party documents and Republican Guard uniforms, as well as weapons.
Insurgents have stepped up their attacks against U.S. troops in recent days, carrying out ambushes against military convoys, shooting soldiers and lobbing grenades. U.S. officials in Washington have said repeatedly that no centralized Iraqi resistance to American rule remains, but commanders on the ground suggest some organization.
Young called the resistance in areas northeast of Baghdad "an organized effort." Capt. John Wrann, also involved in the new operation, said: "It's got to be a coordinated thing."
The top U.S. official in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, stressed the need to capture Hussein. "I think it is important that we either catch him or kill him," Bremer told the BBC. "There is no doubt that the fact that we have not been able to show his fate allows the remnants of the Baath regime to go around the bazaars and villages and say Saddam will come back, so do not cooperate with the coalition."
Bremer said progress was being made in restoring basic services to the country such as health care, water and power. He said Baghdad now had 18 to 20 hours of electricity a day and that law and order would soon be restored. "Am I satisfied? No," Bremer said. "We will do our best, and we will succeed. I do not know when that will be."
Copyright (c) 2003, Newsday, Inc.
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-woiraq303353034jun30,0,6032851.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
U.S. forces storm Iraqi towns in sweep: "A massive sweep that has already netted at least 60 suspects in 20 lightning raids across central Iraq entered its second day Monday, as U.S. forces tried to capture Saddam Hussein loyalists and curb a wave of attacks on American soldiers."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Foreign worker killed in West Bank attack: "A Romanian construction worker was killed Monday in a Palestinian shooting attack in the West Bank, only a day after the three largest Palestinian factions said they would observe a temporary truce."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn dies: "Her backyard acting blossomed into a career for the ages: Four Academy Awards, 12 nominations, 60 years of stage and screen brilliance, a lifetime of feisty independence."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Frist endorses idea of gay marriage ban: "The Senate majority leader said Sunday he supported a proposed constitutional amendment to ban homosexual marriage in the United States."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Tropical storm prompts warning for La.: "Tropical Storm Bill gained pace as it churned toward the Gulf Coast, causing emergency officials across an already saturated south Louisiana to brace for the prospect of flooding."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Pakistan sentences two militants to death: "An anti-terrorism court Monday sentenced two Islamic militants to hang after finding them guilty of planning a suicide car bombing that killed 11 French engineers last year."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Foreign worker killed in West Bank attack: "A Romanian construction worker was killed Monday in a Palestinian shooting attack in the West Bank, only a day after the three largest Palestinian factions said they would observe a temporary truce."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn dies: "Her backyard acting blossomed into a career for the ages: Four Academy Awards, 12 nominations, 60 years of stage and screen brilliance, a lifetime of feisty independence."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Frist endorses idea of gay marriage ban: "The Senate majority leader said Sunday he supported a proposed constitutional amendment to ban homosexual marriage in the United States."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Tropical storm prompts warning for La.: "Tropical Storm Bill gained pace as it churned toward the Gulf Coast, causing emergency officials across an already saturated south Louisiana to brace for the prospect of flooding."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Pakistan sentences two militants to death: "An anti-terrorism court Monday sentenced two Islamic militants to hang after finding them guilty of planning a suicide car bombing that killed 11 French engineers last year."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Sunday, June 29, 2003
Bremer puts it in perspective
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
TIMES NEWS TRACKER
Topics Alerts
Bremer, L Paul III
Iraq
United States Armament and Defense
Bremer Says More Attacks Won't Deter the Allies
By AMY WALDMAN
AGHDAD, Iraq, June 29 — The American civilian administrator of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer III, warned tonight that attacks against allied targets in Iraq could escalate, but vowed that the resistance would not deter the country's reconstruction.
"We're certainly not panicked," he said in an interview with several newspapers tonight, one of several meetings he had with news outlets over the weekend. "We're not going to get deflected from our direction by an attack now and then, tragic as it may be."
The attacks "are a sign of weakness," he said of those responsible for them, adding, "And I think we have to anticipate that as we succeed, we will continue to see attacks, and indeed you may find an escalation to terrorism as we go forward."
Referring to those carrying out assaults on coalition forces, sabotage of infrastructure and attacks on Iraqi and American civilians, he said, "These are people who do not want the coalition to succeed."
He put the blame for the attacks, as he has before, on remnants of the Baath Party of Saddam Hussein, members of the Saddam Fedayeen paramilitary force and "perhaps some terrorists." While he maintained, as have allied commanders, that the attacks were not centrally coordinated, he said "some of them are quite professional," and had probably been committed by former Fedayeen members.
At least five or six of the attacks, including the shooting of a soldier in the head in a Baghdad market on Friday, were carried out in a similar manner, Mr. Bremer said, suggesting "a clear understanding of how body armor works."
Of attacks in recent days on civilians cooperating with the allies, he said, "They may be targeting civilians as a way to intimidate people from working on reconstruction." But he added, "I'm not prepared to say we're entering a new phase yet."
He reiterated the importance of killing or capturing Mr. Hussein as a way to sap the vigor of the resistance, and curb the fear of the Iraqi people. He said all available assessments suggested that Mr. Hussein was still in Iraq.
Mr. Bremer said that the attacks would not deter an expansion of the American-led civilian administration here, and that he had requested several hundred more people to be sent to bolster the administration and deploy around the country.
In the meantime, he said, the military was continuing to carry out hundreds or thousands of small-scale reconstruction projects across Iraq.
Mr. Bremer sketched out a series of measures that the coalition is using to funnel money and resources to the Iraqi people.
Salaries are being paid to 1.3 million civil servants, although many have little work to do. Stipends are being given to about 200,000 officers, and one-time payments to 300,000 military conscripts.
Some $150 million was spent to buy wheat and barley from Iraqi farmers, and the coalition is continuing to provide food rations. About $200 million also being spent on emergency programs directed at creating jobs.
Mr. Bremer said that the Iraqi economy had been destroyed from within, referring to Mr. Hussein's spending on weapons and palaces, and that it could not be rebuilt quickly. Reconstruction, he said, "will not be self-financing," but will require international donor support.
Iraq will be a rich country eventually, he said, "but it will need bridging money from international capital over the next few years."
Mr. Bremer said he disagreed with criticism of the planning for postwar Iraq, saying it was hard to move forward when there were people bent on disrupting progress, and "at least one country" — referring to Iran — interfering in Iraq's affairs.
"I think basically there was a plan," he said of the postwar preparations. "It's just damn difficult to execute."
TIMES NEWS TRACKER
Topics Alerts
Bremer, L Paul III
Iraq
United States Armament and Defense
Bremer Says More Attacks Won't Deter the Allies
By AMY WALDMAN
AGHDAD, Iraq, June 29 — The American civilian administrator of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer III, warned tonight that attacks against allied targets in Iraq could escalate, but vowed that the resistance would not deter the country's reconstruction.
"We're certainly not panicked," he said in an interview with several newspapers tonight, one of several meetings he had with news outlets over the weekend. "We're not going to get deflected from our direction by an attack now and then, tragic as it may be."
The attacks "are a sign of weakness," he said of those responsible for them, adding, "And I think we have to anticipate that as we succeed, we will continue to see attacks, and indeed you may find an escalation to terrorism as we go forward."
Referring to those carrying out assaults on coalition forces, sabotage of infrastructure and attacks on Iraqi and American civilians, he said, "These are people who do not want the coalition to succeed."
He put the blame for the attacks, as he has before, on remnants of the Baath Party of Saddam Hussein, members of the Saddam Fedayeen paramilitary force and "perhaps some terrorists." While he maintained, as have allied commanders, that the attacks were not centrally coordinated, he said "some of them are quite professional," and had probably been committed by former Fedayeen members.
At least five or six of the attacks, including the shooting of a soldier in the head in a Baghdad market on Friday, were carried out in a similar manner, Mr. Bremer said, suggesting "a clear understanding of how body armor works."
Of attacks in recent days on civilians cooperating with the allies, he said, "They may be targeting civilians as a way to intimidate people from working on reconstruction." But he added, "I'm not prepared to say we're entering a new phase yet."
He reiterated the importance of killing or capturing Mr. Hussein as a way to sap the vigor of the resistance, and curb the fear of the Iraqi people. He said all available assessments suggested that Mr. Hussein was still in Iraq.
Mr. Bremer said that the attacks would not deter an expansion of the American-led civilian administration here, and that he had requested several hundred more people to be sent to bolster the administration and deploy around the country.
In the meantime, he said, the military was continuing to carry out hundreds or thousands of small-scale reconstruction projects across Iraq.
Mr. Bremer sketched out a series of measures that the coalition is using to funnel money and resources to the Iraqi people.
Salaries are being paid to 1.3 million civil servants, although many have little work to do. Stipends are being given to about 200,000 officers, and one-time payments to 300,000 military conscripts.
Some $150 million was spent to buy wheat and barley from Iraqi farmers, and the coalition is continuing to provide food rations. About $200 million also being spent on emergency programs directed at creating jobs.
Mr. Bremer said that the Iraqi economy had been destroyed from within, referring to Mr. Hussein's spending on weapons and palaces, and that it could not be rebuilt quickly. Reconstruction, he said, "will not be self-financing," but will require international donor support.
Iraq will be a rich country eventually, he said, "but it will need bridging money from international capital over the next few years."
Mr. Bremer said he disagreed with criticism of the planning for postwar Iraq, saying it was hard to move forward when there were people bent on disrupting progress, and "at least one country" — referring to Iran — interfering in Iraq's affairs.
"I think basically there was a plan," he said of the postwar preparations. "It's just damn difficult to execute."
Japan Troops To Arrive In..October?
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
,000 SDF troops to be sent to Iraq in Oct, paper reports
Monday, June 30, 2003 at 10:50 JST
TOKYO — Japan is planning to send more than 1,000 Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel to help rebuild Iraq, possibly starting with a dispatch of ground troops in early October, the Tokyo Shimbun reported Monday.
Around 500 Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) troops will likely be deployed from Hokkaido and will supply fuel and water to U.S. forces and citizens in Baghdad, the daily said, citing a Defense Agency outline on reconstruction efforts in Iraq. (Kyodo News)
,000 SDF troops to be sent to Iraq in Oct, paper reports
Monday, June 30, 2003 at 10:50 JST
TOKYO — Japan is planning to send more than 1,000 Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel to help rebuild Iraq, possibly starting with a dispatch of ground troops in early October, the Tokyo Shimbun reported Monday.
Around 500 Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) troops will likely be deployed from Hokkaido and will supply fuel and water to U.S. forces and citizens in Baghdad, the daily said, citing a Defense Agency outline on reconstruction efforts in Iraq. (Kyodo News)
This is the main online newspaper from India
Bodies of 2 U.S. Soldiers Are Found
TAJI, Iraq--The bodies of two U.S. soldiers who had disappeared while on guard duty three days earlier were found dead just west of here Saturday, ending an intensive search and with it, hope that they would be rescued.
The deaths were the latest reported in a dispiriting week as U.S. and British forces came under sporadic attack throughout Iraq. The violence, which left six Americans and six Britons dead, ranged from execution-style shootings at a crowded Baghdad street market to mob violence in southern Iraq.
The Army confirmed the identities of the two soldiers found Saturday as Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, 37, of Linden, N.J., and Pfc. Kevin C. Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio. They were assigned to the 18th Field Artillery Regiment of Fort Sill, Okla.
They disappeared Wednesday night while patrolling on regular guard duty at a captured munitions storage depot about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad. After they failed to respond to a routine radio call, the military launched a large air and ground search for the men.
Military officials would not comment on the condition of the bodies, the details of their discovery or any indication that the men had been held prisoner before their deaths.
After a series of house-to-house searches throughout the area where the soldiers were last seen, U.S. troops arrested four people at 3 p.m. on Friday and found the missing soldiers' Humvee half an hour later some 20 miles northwest of Mamamiyat. Their weapons were not found. Another eight Iraqis were detained for possible involvement in the incident.
The depot the men were guarding is in an area that had been a stronghold of fedayeen paramilitary forces loyal to ousted leader Saddam Hussein.
People in Taji, a village a mile or so north of the Tigris River set on a bucolic landscape of irrigated fields and palm trees, did little Saturday to indicate that their loyalties had changed.
Residents said the two bodies were found west of here, next to an area of ``storehouses.'' Some said the soldiers had been kidnapped near the Tigris River; others said they had been abducted near the warehouses where they were found.
``They intimidated us; they searched our houses. They aren't here to help us. They are occupiers,'' said one older man, who, like other villagers here, declined to be identified. ``They are trying to root themselves in Iraq.''
The area is made up, predominantly, of members of the Halabsa, a very conservative and traditional tribe. One man, about 30 years old, said: ``Nobody else is going to kick them out for us. We will do it. We will do operations every day.''
Asked where the bodies of the dead Americans could be found, he responded with an insult. ``Go look in the garbage dump!''
TAJI, Iraq--The bodies of two U.S. soldiers who had disappeared while on guard duty three days earlier were found dead just west of here Saturday, ending an intensive search and with it, hope that they would be rescued.
The deaths were the latest reported in a dispiriting week as U.S. and British forces came under sporadic attack throughout Iraq. The violence, which left six Americans and six Britons dead, ranged from execution-style shootings at a crowded Baghdad street market to mob violence in southern Iraq.
The Army confirmed the identities of the two soldiers found Saturday as Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, 37, of Linden, N.J., and Pfc. Kevin C. Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio. They were assigned to the 18th Field Artillery Regiment of Fort Sill, Okla.
They disappeared Wednesday night while patrolling on regular guard duty at a captured munitions storage depot about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad. After they failed to respond to a routine radio call, the military launched a large air and ground search for the men.
Military officials would not comment on the condition of the bodies, the details of their discovery or any indication that the men had been held prisoner before their deaths.
After a series of house-to-house searches throughout the area where the soldiers were last seen, U.S. troops arrested four people at 3 p.m. on Friday and found the missing soldiers' Humvee half an hour later some 20 miles northwest of Mamamiyat. Their weapons were not found. Another eight Iraqis were detained for possible involvement in the incident.
The depot the men were guarding is in an area that had been a stronghold of fedayeen paramilitary forces loyal to ousted leader Saddam Hussein.
People in Taji, a village a mile or so north of the Tigris River set on a bucolic landscape of irrigated fields and palm trees, did little Saturday to indicate that their loyalties had changed.
Residents said the two bodies were found west of here, next to an area of ``storehouses.'' Some said the soldiers had been kidnapped near the Tigris River; others said they had been abducted near the warehouses where they were found.
``They intimidated us; they searched our houses. They aren't here to help us. They are occupiers,'' said one older man, who, like other villagers here, declined to be identified. ``They are trying to root themselves in Iraq.''
The area is made up, predominantly, of members of the Halabsa, a very conservative and traditional tribe. One man, about 30 years old, said: ``Nobody else is going to kick them out for us. We will do it. We will do operations every day.''
Asked where the bodies of the dead Americans could be found, he responded with an insult. ``Go look in the garbage dump!''
Chit Happens
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
The shaky relationship between occupier and occupied came to the fore in a confrontation Sunday morning in Fallujah, a restive town west of Baghdad that's seen a number of attacks on U.S. troops since the Americans shot and killed 20 protesters during a demonstration in April.
A shouting match broke out when an Iraqi civilian, Jamal Shalal Habib al-Mahemdi, accused a U.S. soldier of stealing $600 (U.S.) from his car.
The soldier tried to wave the man on, but, at the behest of bystanders, his superior officer, Sgt. James Phillips, searched his pockets and found the money. Phillips then returned the bills to Mr. al-Mahemdi, who waved them above his head and cursed the soldier.
It was not clear if the soldier, whose name was not immediately available, would be disciplined. Major Sean Gibson, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said he had not heard of the incident but was sure it would be investigated.
The incident was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer.
Meanwhile, two American troops were injured and an Iraqi civilian was killed when an explosive device went off alongside a U.S. military convoy on a road leading to Baghdad International Airport, the military said.
In other violence, insurgents on Sunday ambushed a U.S. patrol west of Baghdad using rocket propelled grenades.
One of the grenades struck a Bradley fighting vehicle patrolling near Khaldiyah, 55 kilometres west of Baghdad, but didn't cause any significant damage or injuries. U.S. troops returned fire with 25-mm cannon, but apparently failed to inflict any casualties on the attackers, who ran away.
The shaky relationship between occupier and occupied came to the fore in a confrontation Sunday morning in Fallujah, a restive town west of Baghdad that's seen a number of attacks on U.S. troops since the Americans shot and killed 20 protesters during a demonstration in April.
A shouting match broke out when an Iraqi civilian, Jamal Shalal Habib al-Mahemdi, accused a U.S. soldier of stealing $600 (U.S.) from his car.
The soldier tried to wave the man on, but, at the behest of bystanders, his superior officer, Sgt. James Phillips, searched his pockets and found the money. Phillips then returned the bills to Mr. al-Mahemdi, who waved them above his head and cursed the soldier.
It was not clear if the soldier, whose name was not immediately available, would be disciplined. Major Sean Gibson, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said he had not heard of the incident but was sure it would be investigated.
The incident was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer.
Meanwhile, two American troops were injured and an Iraqi civilian was killed when an explosive device went off alongside a U.S. military convoy on a road leading to Baghdad International Airport, the military said.
In other violence, insurgents on Sunday ambushed a U.S. patrol west of Baghdad using rocket propelled grenades.
One of the grenades struck a Bradley fighting vehicle patrolling near Khaldiyah, 55 kilometres west of Baghdad, but didn't cause any significant damage or injuries. U.S. troops returned fire with 25-mm cannon, but apparently failed to inflict any casualties on the attackers, who ran away.
June 29, 2003
Release Number: 03-06-96
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TASK FORCE IRONHORSE LAUNCHES OPERATION SIDEWINDER
TIKRIT, Iraq – Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse conducted more than 20 simultaneous raids involving attack aviation, armor and infantry forces detaining more than 60 suspected opposition members and seizing multiple illegal weapons along with various military documents.
Operation Sidewinder is the third in a series of operations, the first two were operations Peninsula Strike and Desert Scorpion, focusing on sweeping through the task force’s area of operations to root out elements attempting to undermine coalition efforts to restore basic infrastructure and stability in the region.
The raids target former Ba’ath Party loyalists, terrorists suspected of perpetrating attacks against US forces and former Iraqi military leaders, and to locate weapons and ammunition caches. The nexus of paramilitary activity in central Iraq is located along an approximate stretch of the Tigris River from Samarra to Baghdad, and is the location of several destabilizing influences in the region.
No coalition forces casualties were reported in the raids. Sidewinder is an ongoing operation. More details will be released as they become available.
For additional information contact:
CJTF-7 COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
914 360 5082/5089
Release Number: 03-06-96
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TASK FORCE IRONHORSE LAUNCHES OPERATION SIDEWINDER
TIKRIT, Iraq – Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse conducted more than 20 simultaneous raids involving attack aviation, armor and infantry forces detaining more than 60 suspected opposition members and seizing multiple illegal weapons along with various military documents.
Operation Sidewinder is the third in a series of operations, the first two were operations Peninsula Strike and Desert Scorpion, focusing on sweeping through the task force’s area of operations to root out elements attempting to undermine coalition efforts to restore basic infrastructure and stability in the region.
The raids target former Ba’ath Party loyalists, terrorists suspected of perpetrating attacks against US forces and former Iraqi military leaders, and to locate weapons and ammunition caches. The nexus of paramilitary activity in central Iraq is located along an approximate stretch of the Tigris River from Samarra to Baghdad, and is the location of several destabilizing influences in the region.
No coalition forces casualties were reported in the raids. Sidewinder is an ongoing operation. More details will be released as they become available.
For additional information contact:
CJTF-7 COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER
914 360 5082/5089
Actress Katharine Hepburn dies at 96
JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press: "Katharine Hepburn, winner of a record four Academy Awards, died Sunday at her home, her executor and town authorities said. She was 96."
JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press: "Katharine Hepburn, winner of a record four Academy Awards, died Sunday at her home, her executor and town authorities said. She was 96."
U.S. begins bid to crush Iraq insurgents: "U.S. forces launched a massive operation early Sunday to crush insurgents and capture senior figures from the ousted regime in a show of force designed to stem a wave of deadly attacks on U.S. troops."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
2 militant groups announce Mideast truce: "The militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups announced Sunday that they are suspending attacks against Israel for three months."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Death of nine Marines linked to friendly fire in IraqWar.info
US still confident of catching Saddam, confronting growing attacks in Iraq: "The United States remained confident of bringing former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to book, while on the ground the military dug in its heels as the US death toll in the Iraq conflict rose above 200. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Two U.S. troops wounded in Iraqi attack: "Two American troops were wounded and an Iraqi civilian was killed in an attack on a U.S. military convoy early Sunday on a road leading to Baghdad International Airport, the military said, the latest in a string of attacks that has left more than 200 Americans dead since the war began."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
2 militant groups announce Mideast truce: "The militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups announced Sunday that they are suspending attacks against Israel for three months."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Death of nine Marines linked to friendly fire in IraqWar.info
US still confident of catching Saddam, confronting growing attacks in Iraq: "The United States remained confident of bringing former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to book, while on the ground the military dug in its heels as the US death toll in the Iraq conflict rose above 200. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Two U.S. troops wounded in Iraqi attack: "Two American troops were wounded and an Iraqi civilian was killed in an attack on a U.S. military convoy early Sunday on a road leading to Baghdad International Airport, the military said, the latest in a string of attacks that has left more than 200 Americans dead since the war began."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
From where's Raed
Thursday, June 26, 2003 ::
The most insane city, I just can’t imagine a city where so much explosive metal is lying around. The latest in the line of stories which at the moment could only happen in Baghdad is an explosion the Karadah street, just off the main road. A photographer walks down that road and sees someone lying on the street with loads of blood around him and missing one leg. No one wants to get near him. The guy had a hand grenade in his pocket, the idiot. And somehow the detonator goes off, boom, bye-bye leg. The funny thing was that there were some people around the guy who looked around very nervously. No one would tell you what was going on. Until you meet the friendly small shop owner who knows everybody. He says the actual explosion happened in a tea-shop down the road where lots of no-good types meet. And the guy’s hand grenade blew up in that tea-shop but his “friends” were so anxious that no one comes in that tea-shop, snoops around and finds god knows what, they clean the place up real fast, drag him to the other end of the street and leave him there.
Why would he have a hand grenade in his pocket? Well, many reasons. I don’t think he is the fedayeen type, like that taxi driver I met a couple of days ago. It just happens to be the weapon of choice for house robberies, you can’t say no to a man with a hand grenade, can you?
:: salam 6:56 AM [+] ::
...
Rest Now Hero
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
Local News
Puerto Rican soldier killed in Iraq
Sunday, June 29th, 2003.
By Sandra Ivelisse Villerrael of Associated Press
SAN JUAN - The Pentagon has confirmed the death of a Puerto Rican soldier in Iraq, saying he had been killed apparently while investigating a car theft for the U.S. military.
Spc. Richard P. Orengo, 32, died Thursday from gunshot wounds in An Najaf, 100 miles (161 kilometers) southwest of Baghdad, the U.S. State Department said Friday, but gave no further details of the incident or his mission in An Najaf.
Orengo, who was born in New Jersey but lived in Toa Alta, had been assigned to the 755th Military Police Company in north-coast Arecibo. He was sent to Iraq last month. He also has worked since 1996 as a policeman with the motorcycle unit of Bayamon.
Police Superintendent Victor M. Rivera Gonzalez said he would ask Gov. Sila Calderon to hold a full military funeral for Orengo, since "he died in service."
His widow, Carmen Berrios Rodriguez, released a statement Friday asking for "support in this moment of deep pain for me and each member of my family." He also leaves behind three children aged 7, 8 and 18.
Orengo is the third Puerto Rican to be killed in the war on Iraq. Marine Cpl. Robert Marcus Rodriguez, 21, died in March when his tank plunged off a bridge and landed upside down in the Euphrates River. He was born in the central town of Orocovis.
Army Spc. Gil Mercado, 25, who was born in Paterson, New Jersey, but lived his teenage years in west-coast Isabela, died in April of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Puerto Ricans were made U.S. citizens in 1917, and 3.4 million of them now live in the mainland United States.
Though islanders serve in the U.S. military, they cannot vote for president and have no vote in Congress. The military has deployed more than 5,400 Puerto Ricans in its campaigns abroad - the largest deployment from the U.S. Caribbean territory of 4 million since the Korean war.
There are more than 53,000 Puerto Ricans in the U.S. armed forces, almost half of whom are on active duty, according to the Pentagon.
Local News
Puerto Rican soldier killed in Iraq
Sunday, June 29th, 2003.
By Sandra Ivelisse Villerrael of Associated Press
SAN JUAN - The Pentagon has confirmed the death of a Puerto Rican soldier in Iraq, saying he had been killed apparently while investigating a car theft for the U.S. military.
Spc. Richard P. Orengo, 32, died Thursday from gunshot wounds in An Najaf, 100 miles (161 kilometers) southwest of Baghdad, the U.S. State Department said Friday, but gave no further details of the incident or his mission in An Najaf.
Orengo, who was born in New Jersey but lived in Toa Alta, had been assigned to the 755th Military Police Company in north-coast Arecibo. He was sent to Iraq last month. He also has worked since 1996 as a policeman with the motorcycle unit of Bayamon.
Police Superintendent Victor M. Rivera Gonzalez said he would ask Gov. Sila Calderon to hold a full military funeral for Orengo, since "he died in service."
His widow, Carmen Berrios Rodriguez, released a statement Friday asking for "support in this moment of deep pain for me and each member of my family." He also leaves behind three children aged 7, 8 and 18.
Orengo is the third Puerto Rican to be killed in the war on Iraq. Marine Cpl. Robert Marcus Rodriguez, 21, died in March when his tank plunged off a bridge and landed upside down in the Euphrates River. He was born in the central town of Orocovis.
Army Spc. Gil Mercado, 25, who was born in Paterson, New Jersey, but lived his teenage years in west-coast Isabela, died in April of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Puerto Ricans were made U.S. citizens in 1917, and 3.4 million of them now live in the mainland United States.
Though islanders serve in the U.S. military, they cannot vote for president and have no vote in Congress. The military has deployed more than 5,400 Puerto Ricans in its campaigns abroad - the largest deployment from the U.S. Caribbean territory of 4 million since the Korean war.
There are more than 53,000 Puerto Ricans in the U.S. armed forces, almost half of whom are on active duty, according to the Pentagon.
Paladin Hit
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
Mounting casualty figures
The most recent American casualties were two soldiers wounded when a convoy was attacked on a highway in Baghdad, U.S. military officials said. An Iraqi civilian was killed in the attack.
The Americans were assigned to the 18th Military Police Brigade, the official said. The extent of their wounds is unknown.
An unidentified explosive device hit the convoy as it traveled along Highway 8, a main road between Baghdad and the airport, a military official said.
It came just hours after U.S. soldiers guarding the Iraqi National Museum in Al Salihiya were attacked Saturday evening as a vehicle approached their position and then sped away.
Several Iraqi witnesses said two men driving a red Volkswagen threw grenades in an apparent attempt to hit a U.S. self-propelled Paladin howitzer positioned adjacent to small office building. There were no reports of casualties.
Two soldiers were found dead Saturday about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad after an exhaustive search using helicopters, armored vehicles and tanks, U.S. Central Command said.
Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, 37, of Linden, New Jersey, and Pfc. Kevin Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio, were traveling in a Humvee near a checkpoint when military officials lost contact with them on Wednesday.
Ott's brother-in-law, Jim Pack, said: "We understand very vividly that freedom is not free," Pack said. "The price is very high. And we understand that they have a job to do to ensure that freedom for us, and we are very proud of all of them."
It was not immediately clear how Ott and Philippe died, but 12 people have been detained in connection with the case, officials said.
The U.S. government is expected to classify their deaths as "hostile," raising to 23 the total number of U.S. troops killed by hostile fire in Iraq since the end of major combat was announced May 1. The six British troops all died in a single incident last week.
Mounting casualty figures
The most recent American casualties were two soldiers wounded when a convoy was attacked on a highway in Baghdad, U.S. military officials said. An Iraqi civilian was killed in the attack.
The Americans were assigned to the 18th Military Police Brigade, the official said. The extent of their wounds is unknown.
An unidentified explosive device hit the convoy as it traveled along Highway 8, a main road between Baghdad and the airport, a military official said.
It came just hours after U.S. soldiers guarding the Iraqi National Museum in Al Salihiya were attacked Saturday evening as a vehicle approached their position and then sped away.
Several Iraqi witnesses said two men driving a red Volkswagen threw grenades in an apparent attempt to hit a U.S. self-propelled Paladin howitzer positioned adjacent to small office building. There were no reports of casualties.
Two soldiers were found dead Saturday about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad after an exhaustive search using helicopters, armored vehicles and tanks, U.S. Central Command said.
Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, 37, of Linden, New Jersey, and Pfc. Kevin Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio, were traveling in a Humvee near a checkpoint when military officials lost contact with them on Wednesday.
Ott's brother-in-law, Jim Pack, said: "We understand very vividly that freedom is not free," Pack said. "The price is very high. And we understand that they have a job to do to ensure that freedom for us, and we are very proud of all of them."
It was not immediately clear how Ott and Philippe died, but 12 people have been detained in connection with the case, officials said.
The U.S. government is expected to classify their deaths as "hostile," raising to 23 the total number of U.S. troops killed by hostile fire in Iraq since the end of major combat was announced May 1. The six British troops all died in a single incident last week.
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
U.S. Searches for Guerrillas in Sweep Across Central Iraq
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
ALAD, Iraq, June 29 — American military forces carried out a series of predawn raids across central Iraq today, hoping to root out guerrilla groups that have been attacking soldiers and to project an intimidating display of power.
The raids involved thousands of soldiers and hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles. Starting about 1 this morning, the raids struck homes, farms and abandoned buildings from the northern edge of Baghdad to the city of Tikrit.
"We want to send a message of `Don't mess with us,' " said Army Lt. Col. Aubrey Garner, commander of the Silver Lions Battalion, which is part of the Fourth Infantry Division.
"They will see that we have the flexibility to bring firepower anywhere and anytime," he continued. "The ability is almost magical."
In raids about 40 miles north of Baghdad, Colonel Garner's battalion seized a small arsenal that included more than a dozen guns ranging from Iraqi pistols to Kalashnikov automated rifles and ammunition.
They also arrested three men, including a potentially valuable member of Iraq's former military intelligence service named Amir Ismael Mohammed. Mr. Mohammed was found with five different identity cards, and the house he was in contained technical publications on missile guidance systems and printouts of an Internet search on weapons production.
The Associated Press reported that soldiers in another raid nearby had arrested a man suspected of recruiting young men to launch attacks on Americans.
But Army units fanned out to dozens of different locations, generally moving in on their targets around 2 a.m. and often interrogating people until well after the sun had come up.
Airplanes backed up the ground troops, dropping low-level flares that provided just enough light to let soldiers see easily with their night-vision goggles.
Dubbed Operation Sidewinder, the fast-moving and nearly simultaneous raids were focused most intensively on villages and towns north of Baghdad, including Balad. The area, which some have nicknamed the "arc of danger," has been the staging ground for an accelerating stream of often deadly guerrilla attacks on American troops as well as on electricity and water installations.
Those attacks hit a new intensity in the past week, killing more than a half-dozen American soldiers in Baghdad and areas to the north. Among the victims were two soldiers kidnapped in their Humvee near here on Tuesday and, after nearly four days of exhaustive manhunts, found dead on Friday.
But the victims also included a soldier who was shot in the head at point-blank range while shopping at an outdoor market in Baghdad on Friday and numerous ambushes with rocket-propelled grenades and remotely detonated bombs.
The rising number of soldiers killed and wounded has become a major worry for American occupation officials.
L. Paul Bremer, head of the Coalition Provisional Authority and the top civilian administrator in charge of Iraq, said tonight he was "certainly not panicked" by the attacks and that Americans had in the past two weeks begun receiving tips from Iraqi citizens.
"Plain old citizens are now confident enough that they are willing to provide us with information," Mr. Bremer said in a meeting with several reporters tonight. "Most of it is pretty good."
But it was unclear that today's campaign produced concrete results. Unlike a similarly massive set of raids earlier this month, the ones today did not lead to any major firefights — an indication that the raids had not located groups devoted to violent attacks against coalition troops.
The two raids carried out by the Silver Lions Battalion produced tantalizing hints of militant activity, as well as of people who might still be loyal to the Baath Party of the former president Saddam Hussein.
But the raids did not uncover what intelligence officials had been hoping to find. One raid, against a compound that had at one time been used by the Badr Brigade, a Shiite militia groups, turned up little more than two families of squatters.
In a second raid on a farmhouse several miles south of here, officials had been hoping to capture a high-ranking intelligence officer named Col. Asad Adeen.
An extensive search of the farmhouse and several adjoining buildings produced one technical pamphlet written by Colonel Adeen and one of his relatives. Soldiers also found a considerable cache of automated weapons, including two Kalashnikovs that were concealed by women under their bed blankets.
The soldiers quickly rounded up 14 men, handcuffed them and covered their heads with sacks to keep them disoriented. Arabic-speaking interrogators then quizzed most of the men for the next several hours.
But in the end, the soldiers released all but three of the men. "The target was Adeen, not these other people or members of his family," said Colonel Garner. And even the three men that soldiers arrested for further questioning, he said, were not necessarily organizers of any violent attacks or underground members of a Baath Party resistance group.
Meanwhile, attacks on American troops continued on Saturday and today. Two soldiers were wounded and an Iraqi civilian was killed today after coming under attack while in a convoy on the road to Baghdad International Airport
U.S. Searches for Guerrillas in Sweep Across Central Iraq
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
ALAD, Iraq, June 29 — American military forces carried out a series of predawn raids across central Iraq today, hoping to root out guerrilla groups that have been attacking soldiers and to project an intimidating display of power.
The raids involved thousands of soldiers and hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles. Starting about 1 this morning, the raids struck homes, farms and abandoned buildings from the northern edge of Baghdad to the city of Tikrit.
"We want to send a message of `Don't mess with us,' " said Army Lt. Col. Aubrey Garner, commander of the Silver Lions Battalion, which is part of the Fourth Infantry Division.
"They will see that we have the flexibility to bring firepower anywhere and anytime," he continued. "The ability is almost magical."
In raids about 40 miles north of Baghdad, Colonel Garner's battalion seized a small arsenal that included more than a dozen guns ranging from Iraqi pistols to Kalashnikov automated rifles and ammunition.
They also arrested three men, including a potentially valuable member of Iraq's former military intelligence service named Amir Ismael Mohammed. Mr. Mohammed was found with five different identity cards, and the house he was in contained technical publications on missile guidance systems and printouts of an Internet search on weapons production.
The Associated Press reported that soldiers in another raid nearby had arrested a man suspected of recruiting young men to launch attacks on Americans.
But Army units fanned out to dozens of different locations, generally moving in on their targets around 2 a.m. and often interrogating people until well after the sun had come up.
Airplanes backed up the ground troops, dropping low-level flares that provided just enough light to let soldiers see easily with their night-vision goggles.
Dubbed Operation Sidewinder, the fast-moving and nearly simultaneous raids were focused most intensively on villages and towns north of Baghdad, including Balad. The area, which some have nicknamed the "arc of danger," has been the staging ground for an accelerating stream of often deadly guerrilla attacks on American troops as well as on electricity and water installations.
Those attacks hit a new intensity in the past week, killing more than a half-dozen American soldiers in Baghdad and areas to the north. Among the victims were two soldiers kidnapped in their Humvee near here on Tuesday and, after nearly four days of exhaustive manhunts, found dead on Friday.
But the victims also included a soldier who was shot in the head at point-blank range while shopping at an outdoor market in Baghdad on Friday and numerous ambushes with rocket-propelled grenades and remotely detonated bombs.
The rising number of soldiers killed and wounded has become a major worry for American occupation officials.
L. Paul Bremer, head of the Coalition Provisional Authority and the top civilian administrator in charge of Iraq, said tonight he was "certainly not panicked" by the attacks and that Americans had in the past two weeks begun receiving tips from Iraqi citizens.
"Plain old citizens are now confident enough that they are willing to provide us with information," Mr. Bremer said in a meeting with several reporters tonight. "Most of it is pretty good."
But it was unclear that today's campaign produced concrete results. Unlike a similarly massive set of raids earlier this month, the ones today did not lead to any major firefights — an indication that the raids had not located groups devoted to violent attacks against coalition troops.
The two raids carried out by the Silver Lions Battalion produced tantalizing hints of militant activity, as well as of people who might still be loyal to the Baath Party of the former president Saddam Hussein.
But the raids did not uncover what intelligence officials had been hoping to find. One raid, against a compound that had at one time been used by the Badr Brigade, a Shiite militia groups, turned up little more than two families of squatters.
In a second raid on a farmhouse several miles south of here, officials had been hoping to capture a high-ranking intelligence officer named Col. Asad Adeen.
An extensive search of the farmhouse and several adjoining buildings produced one technical pamphlet written by Colonel Adeen and one of his relatives. Soldiers also found a considerable cache of automated weapons, including two Kalashnikovs that were concealed by women under their bed blankets.
The soldiers quickly rounded up 14 men, handcuffed them and covered their heads with sacks to keep them disoriented. Arabic-speaking interrogators then quizzed most of the men for the next several hours.
But in the end, the soldiers released all but three of the men. "The target was Adeen, not these other people or members of his family," said Colonel Garner. And even the three men that soldiers arrested for further questioning, he said, were not necessarily organizers of any violent attacks or underground members of a Baath Party resistance group.
Meanwhile, attacks on American troops continued on Saturday and today. Two soldiers were wounded and an Iraqi civilian was killed today after coming under attack while in a convoy on the road to Baghdad International Airport
Rest now hero
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!Columbus
Family Remembers Fallen Soldier
June 29, 2003
The military says a soldier from central Ohio has been found dead in Iraq Saturday.
Private First Class Kevin Ott of Columbus was reported missing Wednesday from the town of Balad, about 25 miles north of Baghdad.
His body was found about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad.
Ott had served in the Army a little over a year. He and Sergeant First Class Gladimir Philippe of Linden, New Jersey and their Humvee disappeared while they were on guard duty.
Ott's parents say he was inspired by the 9-11 terrorist attacks to join the military. The graduate of Williamsport Westfall High School enlisted in January 2002.
His parents, who live in Orient, say he was a jokester who was active in his church, taught Bible verses to children and was working toward a college degree.
Of at least 200 U.S. troops killed since the start of the war on March 20th, about a third died since major combat was officially declared over May First.
© Associated Press and Dispatch Productions, Inc., 2003. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Family Remembers Fallen Soldier
June 29, 2003
The military says a soldier from central Ohio has been found dead in Iraq Saturday.
Private First Class Kevin Ott of Columbus was reported missing Wednesday from the town of Balad, about 25 miles north of Baghdad.
His body was found about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad.
Ott had served in the Army a little over a year. He and Sergeant First Class Gladimir Philippe of Linden, New Jersey and their Humvee disappeared while they were on guard duty.
Ott's parents say he was inspired by the 9-11 terrorist attacks to join the military. The graduate of Williamsport Westfall High School enlisted in January 2002.
His parents, who live in Orient, say he was a jokester who was active in his church, taught Bible verses to children and was working toward a college degree.
Of at least 200 U.S. troops killed since the start of the war on March 20th, about a third died since major combat was officially declared over May First.
© Associated Press and Dispatch Productions, Inc., 2003. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Operation Sidewinder
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
U.S. Arrests 60 During New Iraq Operation
Sunday June 29, 2003 5:49 PM
By BORZOU DARAGAHI
Associated Press Writer
CAMP BOOM, Iraq (AP) - U.S. forces launched a massive operation early Sunday to crush insurgents and capture senior figures from Saddam Hussein's ousted regime, arresting more than 60 in a show of force designed to stem a wave of deadly attacks on U.S. troops.
Also Sunday, the U.S. civilian administrator of Iraq said American forces must kill or capture Saddam so he can no longer be a rallying point for the attackers.
``We'll get our hands on him, dead or alive,'' L. Paul Bremer told CNN's ``Inside Edition.''
The operation, dubbed ``Sidewinder,'' was taking place in a huge swath of central Iraq stretching from the Iranian border to the areas north of Baghdad, and was expected to last several days, military officials said.
More than 20 raids involving air and ground forces were carried out, military officials said. The region has become ``the nexus of paramilitary activity in central Iraq,'' the military said in a statement.
The military also announced the arrests of 15 suspects in Mosul in northern Iraq a day before the operation, confiscating Baath party documents and Republican Guard uniforms, as well as weapons.
There were no reports on U.S. casualties in Operation Sidewinder, nor was their any indication that any top fugitives had been captured or killed.
On a road leading to Baghdad International Airport, an Iraqi civilian was killed and two American troops were wounded in an attack on a U.S. military convoy, military officials said.
Among those arrested in the operation was a man in Khalis, 45 miles north of Baghdad, suspected of recruiting young men to launch attacks on Americans, military officials said.
In Dojima, an upscale town where Sunni Muslim residents recently cleaned the still-standing portrait of Saddam, police raided homes of alleged Saddam loyalists they suspected of hiding caches of arms, including rocket-propelled grenades - the weapon of choice in many recent ambushes.
The operation, named after a rattlesnake, began at about 2 a.m. Sunday, with officers simultaneously raiding as many sites as possible.
``We go in with such overwhelming combat power that they won't even think about shooting us,'' Lt. Col. Mark Young said earlier.
U.S. officials in Washington have said repeatedly that no centralized Iraqi resistance to American rule remains. But from the view on the ground, Young said, U.S. military personnel face ``an organized effort.''
``Somewhere in Diala province, something happens every night,'' said Capt. John Wrann, referring to the province northeast of Baghdad where much of the operation was taking place. ``It's got to be a coordinated thing.''
Insurgents have stepped up their attacks against U.S. troops in recent days, carrying out ambushes against military convoys, shooting soldiers in Baghdad, and lobbing grenades at patrols.
Bremer said holdout Baath Party members and perhaps terrorists from neighboring countries drew strength from Saddam's apparent survival.
``I think it is important that we either catch him or kill him,'' Bremer told the British Broadcasting Corp.
The attack on the road near Baghdad airport involved an improvised explosive device. Two vehicles were damaged. It was not clear if the explosive device was thrown at the convoy, or placed in the road, said Cpl. Todd Pruden, a military spokesman.
The wounded were evacuated to a military hospital and no arrests were made. The identity of the Iraqi civilian was not released, nor was it clear if the victim was a passer-by or had been traveling with the U.S. soldiers.
In other violence, insurgents using rocket propelled grenades ambushed a U.S. patrol west of Baghdad on Sunday.
One grenade struck a Bradley fighting vehicle patrolling near Khaldiyah, 35 miles west of Baghdad, but didn't cause any significant damage or injuries. U.S. troops returned fire with 25 mm cannon, but the attackers ran away.
At least 63 American troops have died in Iraq since major combat was declared over on May 1. The military has confirmed the identities of 138 soldiers killed before that date, for a total of 201 so far, while the names of several other casualties have not yet been made available. Some 42 British troops have died in the current conflict.
The American death toll was still far below the 382 U.S. troops killed in the 1991 Gulf War.
It is impossible to know how many Iraqi soldiers have died since the war started on March 20. An Associated Press investigation completed earlier this month found that at least 3,240 civilians died throughout the country.
In the BBC interview, Bremer said progress was being made in restoring basic services to the country and health care, water and power supplies were improving. He said 240 hospitals across the country and 95 percent of health clinics were now operating and Baghdad now had 18 to 20 hours of electricity a day.
He added that law and order had to be restored to ensure the country could be rebuilt.
``Am I satisfied? No,'' said Bremer, ``We will do our best and we will succeed. I do not know when that will be.''
U.S. Arrests 60 During New Iraq Operation
Sunday June 29, 2003 5:49 PM
By BORZOU DARAGAHI
Associated Press Writer
CAMP BOOM, Iraq (AP) - U.S. forces launched a massive operation early Sunday to crush insurgents and capture senior figures from Saddam Hussein's ousted regime, arresting more than 60 in a show of force designed to stem a wave of deadly attacks on U.S. troops.
Also Sunday, the U.S. civilian administrator of Iraq said American forces must kill or capture Saddam so he can no longer be a rallying point for the attackers.
``We'll get our hands on him, dead or alive,'' L. Paul Bremer told CNN's ``Inside Edition.''
The operation, dubbed ``Sidewinder,'' was taking place in a huge swath of central Iraq stretching from the Iranian border to the areas north of Baghdad, and was expected to last several days, military officials said.
More than 20 raids involving air and ground forces were carried out, military officials said. The region has become ``the nexus of paramilitary activity in central Iraq,'' the military said in a statement.
The military also announced the arrests of 15 suspects in Mosul in northern Iraq a day before the operation, confiscating Baath party documents and Republican Guard uniforms, as well as weapons.
There were no reports on U.S. casualties in Operation Sidewinder, nor was their any indication that any top fugitives had been captured or killed.
On a road leading to Baghdad International Airport, an Iraqi civilian was killed and two American troops were wounded in an attack on a U.S. military convoy, military officials said.
Among those arrested in the operation was a man in Khalis, 45 miles north of Baghdad, suspected of recruiting young men to launch attacks on Americans, military officials said.
In Dojima, an upscale town where Sunni Muslim residents recently cleaned the still-standing portrait of Saddam, police raided homes of alleged Saddam loyalists they suspected of hiding caches of arms, including rocket-propelled grenades - the weapon of choice in many recent ambushes.
The operation, named after a rattlesnake, began at about 2 a.m. Sunday, with officers simultaneously raiding as many sites as possible.
``We go in with such overwhelming combat power that they won't even think about shooting us,'' Lt. Col. Mark Young said earlier.
U.S. officials in Washington have said repeatedly that no centralized Iraqi resistance to American rule remains. But from the view on the ground, Young said, U.S. military personnel face ``an organized effort.''
``Somewhere in Diala province, something happens every night,'' said Capt. John Wrann, referring to the province northeast of Baghdad where much of the operation was taking place. ``It's got to be a coordinated thing.''
Insurgents have stepped up their attacks against U.S. troops in recent days, carrying out ambushes against military convoys, shooting soldiers in Baghdad, and lobbing grenades at patrols.
Bremer said holdout Baath Party members and perhaps terrorists from neighboring countries drew strength from Saddam's apparent survival.
``I think it is important that we either catch him or kill him,'' Bremer told the British Broadcasting Corp.
The attack on the road near Baghdad airport involved an improvised explosive device. Two vehicles were damaged. It was not clear if the explosive device was thrown at the convoy, or placed in the road, said Cpl. Todd Pruden, a military spokesman.
The wounded were evacuated to a military hospital and no arrests were made. The identity of the Iraqi civilian was not released, nor was it clear if the victim was a passer-by or had been traveling with the U.S. soldiers.
In other violence, insurgents using rocket propelled grenades ambushed a U.S. patrol west of Baghdad on Sunday.
One grenade struck a Bradley fighting vehicle patrolling near Khaldiyah, 35 miles west of Baghdad, but didn't cause any significant damage or injuries. U.S. troops returned fire with 25 mm cannon, but the attackers ran away.
At least 63 American troops have died in Iraq since major combat was declared over on May 1. The military has confirmed the identities of 138 soldiers killed before that date, for a total of 201 so far, while the names of several other casualties have not yet been made available. Some 42 British troops have died in the current conflict.
The American death toll was still far below the 382 U.S. troops killed in the 1991 Gulf War.
It is impossible to know how many Iraqi soldiers have died since the war started on March 20. An Associated Press investigation completed earlier this month found that at least 3,240 civilians died throughout the country.
In the BBC interview, Bremer said progress was being made in restoring basic services to the country and health care, water and power supplies were improving. He said 240 hospitals across the country and 95 percent of health clinics were now operating and Baghdad now had 18 to 20 hours of electricity a day.
He added that law and order had to be restored to ensure the country could be rebuilt.
``Am I satisfied? No,'' said Bremer, ``We will do our best and we will succeed. I do not know when that will be.''
History in the making
2 groups agree to halt attacks on Israel: "The militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups announced a three-month suspension of attacks against Israel on Sunday - effective immediately - a breakthrough in attempts to end almost three years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
U.S. arrests 60 during new Iraq operation: "U.S. forces launched a massive operation early Sunday to crush insurgents and capture senior figures from Saddam Hussein's ousted regime, arresting more than 60 suspects in a show of force designed to stem a wave of deadly attacks on U.S. troops."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
2 groups agree to halt attacks on Israel: "The militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups announced a three-month suspension of attacks against Israel on Sunday - effective immediately - a breakthrough in attempts to end almost three years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
U.S. arrests 60 during new Iraq operation: "U.S. forces launched a massive operation early Sunday to crush insurgents and capture senior figures from Saddam Hussein's ousted regime, arresting more than 60 suspects in a show of force designed to stem a wave of deadly attacks on U.S. troops."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Welcome Home Hero
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
A soldier makes it home in time
Army specialist Ryan Hoey makes it back from Iraq to mourn the death of his mother
Sunday, June 29, 2003
By DIANE O'DONNELL
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
Operation Enduring Strength. That's what fueled the siblings of Army specialist Ryan Hoey to bring their brother home from Iraq to attend their mother's funeral.
Led by Tammy Gallo, the third oldest of Kathleen Gallagher's nine children, the crusade began on June 15 when her mother was ailing in Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze.
Try Our Classifieds
A phone call to Hoey's Fort Sill base in Lawton, Okla., put the 33-year-old Tottenville woman in touch with Sgt. Alma Bass who instructed her to contact the American Red Cross. The agency contacted the 231st Target Acquisition Division where he was a member of a radar unit in Iraq.
Within hours of notifying the agency of her mother's critical condition, the 57-year-old Rosebank woman died.
In times of conflict and war, the Red Cross serves as the main communication between troops and their families. Since November the agency has seen a 48 percent increase in communications, said Neal Gorman, a Red Cross spokesman.
In March the agency handled 5,997 serious health and death messages and 1,432 for birth announcements. There are currently 36 Red Cross emergency communication staff in Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
At midnight on June 16, Mrs. Gallo was informed by the Red Cross that her brother was on the move in the desert at an undisclosed location.
"On the 17th I still had not heard anything," said Mrs. Gallo, whose concern grew with each passing hour as she planned funeral arrangements. First thing that morning she called the borough president's office who referred her to Rep. Vito Fossella's office.
By 9:30 a.m., Mrs. Gallo was on a conference call with Sherry Diamond, district director of the Republican congressman's borough office and Loren Smith, Fossella's legislative assistant in Washington, D.C. Smith, in turn, contacted the Army's liaison office on Capitol Hill.
A little over five hours later on Tuesday, Mrs. Gallo received a phone call from her brother.
"I felt relieved, but I still had a mission. I had to get him home," said Mrs. Gallo, who had power of attorney for her brother's affairs while he was enlisted.
She thought her brother would be on a convoy the next morning to Kuwait International Airport. A phone call Wednesday morning from Fossella bolstered her spirits.
But delays pushed Hoey's departure to Thursday, the first day of Ms. Gallagher's wake.
Distraught, Mrs. Gallo began another series of phone calls to the Red Cross, Sgt. Bass and Fossella's office. At 9 p.m. Kuwait time, Hoey's military flight was scheduled to take off. But it didn't.
"From there the waiting game began," said Hoey relating how his flight was delayed three successive times, then canceled at 11 p.m.
The next available flight would be 12 hours later and land in Baltimore, ruling out any chance of coming home in time for the wake.
Frantic calls ensued between Hoey and his sister, who added call waiting, call forwarding and 3-way calling to her phone to deal with the crisis. In all, Mrs. Gallo estimates she logged over 200 phone calls between agencies, officials and family.
"More than anything I wanted to be there for my family," said Hoey.
Stateside, Mrs. Gallo and her family began scouring the Internet in search of flights out of Kuwait.
Meanwhile, through interpreters from the Air Force and Marines, Hoey was told of a civilian flight that would cost $1,100 on Kuwait Air. With a 9 a.m. departure on Friday, Kuwait time, the direct flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport would just make the last viewing at Virginia Funeral Chapel.
"You never saw so many people move so fast at ATMs," said Mrs. Gallo who mobilized her siblings and wired the money within minutes.
At 4:30 p.m. Friday, Hoey arrived at the airport and rushed to the Dongan Hills funeral home for the last viewing of his mother.
"We're a very strong family, that's the way our mother raised us," said Mrs. Gallo. "Our strength with each other has really helped us through."
Although Hoey's homecoming was bittersweet, the 27-year-old received good news -- the Army will reimburse the cost of his airfare and he will spend the remainder of his military hitch at Fort Sill.
At least 58 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since major combat was declared on May 1. Hoey will be discharged September 2004.
Diane O'Donnell is a news reporter for the Advance. She may be reached at odonnell@siadvance.com.
A soldier makes it home in time
Army specialist Ryan Hoey makes it back from Iraq to mourn the death of his mother
Sunday, June 29, 2003
By DIANE O'DONNELL
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
Operation Enduring Strength. That's what fueled the siblings of Army specialist Ryan Hoey to bring their brother home from Iraq to attend their mother's funeral.
Led by Tammy Gallo, the third oldest of Kathleen Gallagher's nine children, the crusade began on June 15 when her mother was ailing in Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze.
Try Our Classifieds
A phone call to Hoey's Fort Sill base in Lawton, Okla., put the 33-year-old Tottenville woman in touch with Sgt. Alma Bass who instructed her to contact the American Red Cross. The agency contacted the 231st Target Acquisition Division where he was a member of a radar unit in Iraq.
Within hours of notifying the agency of her mother's critical condition, the 57-year-old Rosebank woman died.
In times of conflict and war, the Red Cross serves as the main communication between troops and their families. Since November the agency has seen a 48 percent increase in communications, said Neal Gorman, a Red Cross spokesman.
In March the agency handled 5,997 serious health and death messages and 1,432 for birth announcements. There are currently 36 Red Cross emergency communication staff in Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
At midnight on June 16, Mrs. Gallo was informed by the Red Cross that her brother was on the move in the desert at an undisclosed location.
"On the 17th I still had not heard anything," said Mrs. Gallo, whose concern grew with each passing hour as she planned funeral arrangements. First thing that morning she called the borough president's office who referred her to Rep. Vito Fossella's office.
By 9:30 a.m., Mrs. Gallo was on a conference call with Sherry Diamond, district director of the Republican congressman's borough office and Loren Smith, Fossella's legislative assistant in Washington, D.C. Smith, in turn, contacted the Army's liaison office on Capitol Hill.
A little over five hours later on Tuesday, Mrs. Gallo received a phone call from her brother.
"I felt relieved, but I still had a mission. I had to get him home," said Mrs. Gallo, who had power of attorney for her brother's affairs while he was enlisted.
She thought her brother would be on a convoy the next morning to Kuwait International Airport. A phone call Wednesday morning from Fossella bolstered her spirits.
But delays pushed Hoey's departure to Thursday, the first day of Ms. Gallagher's wake.
Distraught, Mrs. Gallo began another series of phone calls to the Red Cross, Sgt. Bass and Fossella's office. At 9 p.m. Kuwait time, Hoey's military flight was scheduled to take off. But it didn't.
"From there the waiting game began," said Hoey relating how his flight was delayed three successive times, then canceled at 11 p.m.
The next available flight would be 12 hours later and land in Baltimore, ruling out any chance of coming home in time for the wake.
Frantic calls ensued between Hoey and his sister, who added call waiting, call forwarding and 3-way calling to her phone to deal with the crisis. In all, Mrs. Gallo estimates she logged over 200 phone calls between agencies, officials and family.
"More than anything I wanted to be there for my family," said Hoey.
Stateside, Mrs. Gallo and her family began scouring the Internet in search of flights out of Kuwait.
Meanwhile, through interpreters from the Air Force and Marines, Hoey was told of a civilian flight that would cost $1,100 on Kuwait Air. With a 9 a.m. departure on Friday, Kuwait time, the direct flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport would just make the last viewing at Virginia Funeral Chapel.
"You never saw so many people move so fast at ATMs," said Mrs. Gallo who mobilized her siblings and wired the money within minutes.
At 4:30 p.m. Friday, Hoey arrived at the airport and rushed to the Dongan Hills funeral home for the last viewing of his mother.
"We're a very strong family, that's the way our mother raised us," said Mrs. Gallo. "Our strength with each other has really helped us through."
Although Hoey's homecoming was bittersweet, the 27-year-old received good news -- the Army will reimburse the cost of his airfare and he will spend the remainder of his military hitch at Fort Sill.
At least 58 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since major combat was declared on May 1. Hoey will be discharged September 2004.
Diane O'Donnell is a news reporter for the Advance. She may be reached at odonnell@siadvance.com.
Soldiers War Stories
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
Posted on Sun, Jun. 29, 2003
Marines' plan to secure bridges went awry amid barrage of firepower
BY NANCY SAN MARTIN
nsanmartin@herald.com
More photos
HONORING THEIR LOST BROTHERS: Members of Task Force Tarawa mourn on April 13 for friends who were killed in Nasiriyah. It was only when they reached Al Kut - three weeks after the deadly battle - that the Marines were able to stop moving long enough to hold a memorial service for their fallen. JOE RAEDLE/GEDDY IMAGES
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C - Just before the first explosion, the young U.S. Marines in the amphibious assault vehicle had been laughing as they rode through Iraq.
'We thought, `Yeah, this is cool.' We were pumped up. We were sitting back, going, ''Yeah, let's go!'' recalled Cpl. Randy Glass, of Bethlehem, Pa.
Then came the agonizing cries. ''I looked down and I thought I didn't have a leg,'' said Glass, 20. ``Blood was coming out like a faucet . . . I didn't know I still had a foot until one or two hours later.''
On a sun-scorched corner of Iraq, within a 500-yard radius, in the span of just 3 ½ hours, 18 American Marines were killed all around Glass on March 23 in what was likely the bloodiest single battle of the Iraq war.
One 40-man platoon alone suffered 11 killed as Iraqi gunners and mortar crews poured murderous fire on units from Task Force Tarawa in the southern city of Nasiriyah. An American A-10 may have killed a half-dozen Marines.
''It was a bloodbath,'' recalled Staff Sgt. Anthony Pompos, 28, one of the veterans of Nasiriyah.
The Marines from Charlie Company, the unit that suffered the record casualties, returned home last Sunday aboard the USS Ponce, almost exactly three months after the battle.
The homecoming was largely joyful. Relatives gathered on the grounds of this Marine base as yellow ribbons and bows with stars and stripes hung from trees along the highway to the main gate. Among a row of handwritten posters: ''You Got the Bad Guys, Daddy,'' and ``Welcome Home Dimple Man.''
Wounded comrades who had been evacuated during the March 23 battle also greeted the veterans at dockside in crutches and bandages. One had an eye patch. Later, at Camp Lejeune, Joe Nixon, a former Marine himself, carried special dog tags he wanted to hand out to members of his dead younger brother's unit: ``In Remembrance. Patrick R. Nixon Cpl. USMC. Iraq 03/23/03.''
The stories of the returnees paint a chilling picture of a sudden and deadly enemy attack, of Marine tanks missing from the front lines because they had to refuel, of Americans firing on Americans, of desperate cries for help and valiant attempts at rescue.
''Five minutes into the firefight and they're already doing what they know,'' Pompos recalled. ``They are saving limbs, fighting back, getting their buddies out. There is no way to train for that.''
CONVOY LOSES WAY
Plans deteriorate: `Things began to get heated up'
The first two days of the war had gone well for the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, part of a 7,000-strong unit renamed Task Force Tarawa for the Iraq campaign. It had met little resistance.
Their mission was to secure two critical bridges on a road that passes through Nasiriyah, a city of 300,000 about 200 miles south of Baghdad. The south bridge spans the Euphrates River, and another to the north is over an irrigation canal.
By the time the Marine convoy reached Nasiriyah on the morning of March 23, part of an Army supply convoy had become lost and wandered into the city, sparking a pitched firefight in which nine Army soldiers were killed and six were taken prisoner, including Pfc. Jessica Lynch.
The battalion's plan seemed simple enough.
Its Bravo Company was to cross the southern bridge over the Euphrates, then turn east and help secure the three miles of paved highway between the two bridges known as Ambush Alley. The road, one of the main arteries to Baghdad, is lined with ramshackle homes and two-story buildings. Alpha Company then was to secure the southern bridge and the west side of the road, while Charlie Company was to follow the same eastern path taken by Bravo and take control of the northern bridge.
But the plan quickly deteriorated as the Marines crept forward at midmorning. The southern bridge turned out to be higher and longer than expected, making it more difficult to secure because platoons couldn't get to their positions as quickly as planned. As soon as the Marines crossed the southern bridge ''things began to get heated up,'' Pompos told The Herald.
Bravo Company could not wheel east on its planned course because of the unanticipated length and height of the bridge and instead veered off further ahead. The two tanks attached to Bravo got stuck in the mud. Ten other tanks attached to the battalion had been called back for refueling earlier, several Marines said.
Combined Anti-Armor Teams, groups of infantrymen who ride in vehicles equipped with either M2 .50-caliber machine guns or MK19 automatic grenade launchers, were called in to boost the defenses.
Within minutes, eight Iraqi tanks were destroyed, Pompos said: ``That opened up the road for us.''
Charlie Company finally pushed ahead across Ambush Alley amid a barrage of gunfire. But then came a thunderous boom from a rocket-propelled grenade or mortar that hit a boat-shaped amphibious armored vehicle -- a ''track'' -- near the tail of its convoy.
''All of a sudden I hear a boom, then the track is on fire,'' said Pompos, who was aboard the vehicle immediately behind.
Glass, in the third year of his enlistment, was among some 20 Marines in the burning track.
''I thought my body blew apart because I couldn't feel nothing,'' he said. ``Everything was so fast. It got pitch black inside the track . . . I couldn't feel anything. I knew I was alive, but that's it.''
His left foot had been blown apart and left hanging by pieces of skin and tendons. At least three other Marines in the track were also wounded, including the driver, Sgt. Michael Bitz, 31, of Ventura, Calif.
But the track didn't stop. Fearing more casualties by halting in the middle of the firefight, the platoon's commander ordered Bitz to keep moving. ''Go, go, go,'' he yelled, banging on Bitz's helmet.
The track rumbled forward with flames bursting from the rear. As some of the Marines stood up through the open hatch and fired at the Iraqis, others tried to stop the blood flowing out of the wounded. One of Glass' buddies used a rifle sling to tie a tourniquet just under his knee.
At the northern bridge, the Marines spilled out of the track. Some were on fire and used their hands to pat down the flames.
For Bitz, the driver, it was too late. He died at the scene.
Over the next hours, the booms and pops of RPGs and mortars filled the air. Radiant streaks of gunfire lit up the ground. Shrapnel flew in all directions.
As more Marines went down, the firing became too intense for helicopters to land near the north bridge and evacuate the casualties. The wounded Marines had to be loaded aboard tracks and driven back south across Ambush Alley. Adding to the mayhem was an Air Force A-10 jet that was strafing the area.
Several Marines said the A-10, equipped with a rapid-fire anti-tank cannon, made seven to eight runs before it was finally called off. They believe it killed as many as six of their comrades.
The number of Marine deaths because of friendly fire during the battle remains unclear. The Pentagon is investigating.
`I GUESS THIS IS IT'
Officer tells of mortar round
that killed three instantly
First Lt. James Reid, 26, of Charlie Company said he was on foot helping secure the north bridge area when a mortar round exploded nearby. He was knocked down and felt a sharp pain surge through his right arm. Three other Marines were killed instantly and several others were wounded.
Reid told his wounded troops to stay put while he went for help. As he ran, another explosion went off in front of him. He was thrown in the air and when he landed on the ground, blood was pouring from his head.
'I remember thinking, `Well, I guess this is it,' '' Reid said.
He managed to get up again and reached the track that was to carry the casualties back across Ambush Alley. He told them about his wounded troops.
Making his way back to his injured Marines, Reid heard a thud and was knocked to the ground a third time. A bullet had struck him in the shoulder.
Reid was among 14 Marines with serious injuries who were evacuated from the battlefield.
''When I got on the chopper, I thought there had been at least 50 guys killed,'' he said. ``I figured that if my guys got hit that bad, the other platoons must have gotten hit hard, too.''
Eleven of the 18 Marines killed were in Reid's 3rd Platoon.
A BOOM, THEN SCREAMS
`I just wanted my little girl to see her dad again, that's all'
And other units were indeed also hit hard.
First Sgt. Jose Henao, who has spent 22 of his 41 years in the Marines Corps, said he had just finished checking on a four-man mortar team and was headed toward other Marines when thunderous explosions shook the ground. Henao rushed back, but the four had been killed instantly. He placed them side by side and covered the bodies with a poncho.
After that, each deafening boom or hail of gunfire was followed by screams. ''First Sergeant!'' Henao said he heard again and again. ``First Sergeant! First Sergeant! . . . Everybody was calling me.
'That's when I realized, `Man, I might get shot, too.' ''
For a moment, Henao thought of his wife and 8-month-old daughter. ''I just wanted my little girl to see her dad again, that's all,'' Henao said, biting his lip and shutting his eyes to hold back tears.
The fighting didn't ease up until near dusk, when Alpha Company pushed a dozen more tracks across Ambush Alley as reinforcement. When it was all over, six tracks had been immobilized, at least two of them ``catastrophic kills.''
Reid said he got a better idea of his platoon's fatalities while aboard the USS Comfort hospital ship in the Persian Gulf. An email from his superiors said, ``Ask Lt. Reid if he knows where 12 of his missing Marines are.''
''I just felt helpless,'' Reid recalled. 'I had to say, `I don't know.' ''
But it could have been worse. The Iraqi fighters appeared to have been lousy shots. ''If those guys were more professional with their weapons systems, 250 Marines would be dead,'' said Henao.
Charlie Company spent another week in Nasiriyah, then moved north to secure the city of Al Kut, where it finally managed to stop moving long enough to hold a memorial service for its fallen.
''I'll admit it, I cried like a baby when I tried to talk about my Marines,'' Pompos said.
Charlie Company never made it to Baghdad. It was pulled out of Al Kut on May 17 and put aboard the USS Ponce for the long trip home.
The day after the welcome home ceremony at Camp Lejeune, Cpl. Glass, who nearly lost his foot, went to a tattoo parlor in nearby Jacksonville.
On his forearm, he had the artist tattoo the face of a woman with a tear drop running down her cheek.
''This is for the sorrow and tears we all shared for our lost brothers,'' he said. ``I wanted to get something to honor my friends.''
Posted on Sun, Jun. 29, 2003
Marines' plan to secure bridges went awry amid barrage of firepower
BY NANCY SAN MARTIN
nsanmartin@herald.com
More photos
HONORING THEIR LOST BROTHERS: Members of Task Force Tarawa mourn on April 13 for friends who were killed in Nasiriyah. It was only when they reached Al Kut - three weeks after the deadly battle - that the Marines were able to stop moving long enough to hold a memorial service for their fallen. JOE RAEDLE/GEDDY IMAGES
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C - Just before the first explosion, the young U.S. Marines in the amphibious assault vehicle had been laughing as they rode through Iraq.
'We thought, `Yeah, this is cool.' We were pumped up. We were sitting back, going, ''Yeah, let's go!'' recalled Cpl. Randy Glass, of Bethlehem, Pa.
Then came the agonizing cries. ''I looked down and I thought I didn't have a leg,'' said Glass, 20. ``Blood was coming out like a faucet . . . I didn't know I still had a foot until one or two hours later.''
On a sun-scorched corner of Iraq, within a 500-yard radius, in the span of just 3 ½ hours, 18 American Marines were killed all around Glass on March 23 in what was likely the bloodiest single battle of the Iraq war.
One 40-man platoon alone suffered 11 killed as Iraqi gunners and mortar crews poured murderous fire on units from Task Force Tarawa in the southern city of Nasiriyah. An American A-10 may have killed a half-dozen Marines.
''It was a bloodbath,'' recalled Staff Sgt. Anthony Pompos, 28, one of the veterans of Nasiriyah.
The Marines from Charlie Company, the unit that suffered the record casualties, returned home last Sunday aboard the USS Ponce, almost exactly three months after the battle.
The homecoming was largely joyful. Relatives gathered on the grounds of this Marine base as yellow ribbons and bows with stars and stripes hung from trees along the highway to the main gate. Among a row of handwritten posters: ''You Got the Bad Guys, Daddy,'' and ``Welcome Home Dimple Man.''
Wounded comrades who had been evacuated during the March 23 battle also greeted the veterans at dockside in crutches and bandages. One had an eye patch. Later, at Camp Lejeune, Joe Nixon, a former Marine himself, carried special dog tags he wanted to hand out to members of his dead younger brother's unit: ``In Remembrance. Patrick R. Nixon Cpl. USMC. Iraq 03/23/03.''
The stories of the returnees paint a chilling picture of a sudden and deadly enemy attack, of Marine tanks missing from the front lines because they had to refuel, of Americans firing on Americans, of desperate cries for help and valiant attempts at rescue.
''Five minutes into the firefight and they're already doing what they know,'' Pompos recalled. ``They are saving limbs, fighting back, getting their buddies out. There is no way to train for that.''
CONVOY LOSES WAY
Plans deteriorate: `Things began to get heated up'
The first two days of the war had gone well for the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, part of a 7,000-strong unit renamed Task Force Tarawa for the Iraq campaign. It had met little resistance.
Their mission was to secure two critical bridges on a road that passes through Nasiriyah, a city of 300,000 about 200 miles south of Baghdad. The south bridge spans the Euphrates River, and another to the north is over an irrigation canal.
By the time the Marine convoy reached Nasiriyah on the morning of March 23, part of an Army supply convoy had become lost and wandered into the city, sparking a pitched firefight in which nine Army soldiers were killed and six were taken prisoner, including Pfc. Jessica Lynch.
The battalion's plan seemed simple enough.
Its Bravo Company was to cross the southern bridge over the Euphrates, then turn east and help secure the three miles of paved highway between the two bridges known as Ambush Alley. The road, one of the main arteries to Baghdad, is lined with ramshackle homes and two-story buildings. Alpha Company then was to secure the southern bridge and the west side of the road, while Charlie Company was to follow the same eastern path taken by Bravo and take control of the northern bridge.
But the plan quickly deteriorated as the Marines crept forward at midmorning. The southern bridge turned out to be higher and longer than expected, making it more difficult to secure because platoons couldn't get to their positions as quickly as planned. As soon as the Marines crossed the southern bridge ''things began to get heated up,'' Pompos told The Herald.
Bravo Company could not wheel east on its planned course because of the unanticipated length and height of the bridge and instead veered off further ahead. The two tanks attached to Bravo got stuck in the mud. Ten other tanks attached to the battalion had been called back for refueling earlier, several Marines said.
Combined Anti-Armor Teams, groups of infantrymen who ride in vehicles equipped with either M2 .50-caliber machine guns or MK19 automatic grenade launchers, were called in to boost the defenses.
Within minutes, eight Iraqi tanks were destroyed, Pompos said: ``That opened up the road for us.''
Charlie Company finally pushed ahead across Ambush Alley amid a barrage of gunfire. But then came a thunderous boom from a rocket-propelled grenade or mortar that hit a boat-shaped amphibious armored vehicle -- a ''track'' -- near the tail of its convoy.
''All of a sudden I hear a boom, then the track is on fire,'' said Pompos, who was aboard the vehicle immediately behind.
Glass, in the third year of his enlistment, was among some 20 Marines in the burning track.
''I thought my body blew apart because I couldn't feel nothing,'' he said. ``Everything was so fast. It got pitch black inside the track . . . I couldn't feel anything. I knew I was alive, but that's it.''
His left foot had been blown apart and left hanging by pieces of skin and tendons. At least three other Marines in the track were also wounded, including the driver, Sgt. Michael Bitz, 31, of Ventura, Calif.
But the track didn't stop. Fearing more casualties by halting in the middle of the firefight, the platoon's commander ordered Bitz to keep moving. ''Go, go, go,'' he yelled, banging on Bitz's helmet.
The track rumbled forward with flames bursting from the rear. As some of the Marines stood up through the open hatch and fired at the Iraqis, others tried to stop the blood flowing out of the wounded. One of Glass' buddies used a rifle sling to tie a tourniquet just under his knee.
At the northern bridge, the Marines spilled out of the track. Some were on fire and used their hands to pat down the flames.
For Bitz, the driver, it was too late. He died at the scene.
Over the next hours, the booms and pops of RPGs and mortars filled the air. Radiant streaks of gunfire lit up the ground. Shrapnel flew in all directions.
As more Marines went down, the firing became too intense for helicopters to land near the north bridge and evacuate the casualties. The wounded Marines had to be loaded aboard tracks and driven back south across Ambush Alley. Adding to the mayhem was an Air Force A-10 jet that was strafing the area.
Several Marines said the A-10, equipped with a rapid-fire anti-tank cannon, made seven to eight runs before it was finally called off. They believe it killed as many as six of their comrades.
The number of Marine deaths because of friendly fire during the battle remains unclear. The Pentagon is investigating.
`I GUESS THIS IS IT'
Officer tells of mortar round
that killed three instantly
First Lt. James Reid, 26, of Charlie Company said he was on foot helping secure the north bridge area when a mortar round exploded nearby. He was knocked down and felt a sharp pain surge through his right arm. Three other Marines were killed instantly and several others were wounded.
Reid told his wounded troops to stay put while he went for help. As he ran, another explosion went off in front of him. He was thrown in the air and when he landed on the ground, blood was pouring from his head.
'I remember thinking, `Well, I guess this is it,' '' Reid said.
He managed to get up again and reached the track that was to carry the casualties back across Ambush Alley. He told them about his wounded troops.
Making his way back to his injured Marines, Reid heard a thud and was knocked to the ground a third time. A bullet had struck him in the shoulder.
Reid was among 14 Marines with serious injuries who were evacuated from the battlefield.
''When I got on the chopper, I thought there had been at least 50 guys killed,'' he said. ``I figured that if my guys got hit that bad, the other platoons must have gotten hit hard, too.''
Eleven of the 18 Marines killed were in Reid's 3rd Platoon.
A BOOM, THEN SCREAMS
`I just wanted my little girl to see her dad again, that's all'
And other units were indeed also hit hard.
First Sgt. Jose Henao, who has spent 22 of his 41 years in the Marines Corps, said he had just finished checking on a four-man mortar team and was headed toward other Marines when thunderous explosions shook the ground. Henao rushed back, but the four had been killed instantly. He placed them side by side and covered the bodies with a poncho.
After that, each deafening boom or hail of gunfire was followed by screams. ''First Sergeant!'' Henao said he heard again and again. ``First Sergeant! First Sergeant! . . . Everybody was calling me.
'That's when I realized, `Man, I might get shot, too.' ''
For a moment, Henao thought of his wife and 8-month-old daughter. ''I just wanted my little girl to see her dad again, that's all,'' Henao said, biting his lip and shutting his eyes to hold back tears.
The fighting didn't ease up until near dusk, when Alpha Company pushed a dozen more tracks across Ambush Alley as reinforcement. When it was all over, six tracks had been immobilized, at least two of them ``catastrophic kills.''
Reid said he got a better idea of his platoon's fatalities while aboard the USS Comfort hospital ship in the Persian Gulf. An email from his superiors said, ``Ask Lt. Reid if he knows where 12 of his missing Marines are.''
''I just felt helpless,'' Reid recalled. 'I had to say, `I don't know.' ''
But it could have been worse. The Iraqi fighters appeared to have been lousy shots. ''If those guys were more professional with their weapons systems, 250 Marines would be dead,'' said Henao.
Charlie Company spent another week in Nasiriyah, then moved north to secure the city of Al Kut, where it finally managed to stop moving long enough to hold a memorial service for its fallen.
''I'll admit it, I cried like a baby when I tried to talk about my Marines,'' Pompos said.
Charlie Company never made it to Baghdad. It was pulled out of Al Kut on May 17 and put aboard the USS Ponce for the long trip home.
The day after the welcome home ceremony at Camp Lejeune, Cpl. Glass, who nearly lost his foot, went to a tattoo parlor in nearby Jacksonville.
On his forearm, he had the artist tattoo the face of a woman with a tear drop running down her cheek.
''This is for the sorrow and tears we all shared for our lost brothers,'' he said. ``I wanted to get something to honor my friends.''
One Day or Another
Sunday, June 22
Hussein shadow haunts Iraqis
By Craig Nelson, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 29, 2003
BAGHDAD -- More than two months after Saddam Hussein's ouster from power, Iraqis seldom exhibit any "Where's Elvis?" frivolity when asked to speculate about the location of his hiding place.
But wherever he may be, Hussein's legion of enemies in Iraq is virtually unanimous about one thing: They want him to suffer and suffer terribly.
"He should put in a car and taken around Iraq so every Iraqi can see him and so every Arab leader can see the fate they'll meet if they do what he did. Then he should be put in a cage in a zoo and fed little bits of food like the animal that he is," said Salman Ali, 24, a watermelon seller in the predominantly Shiite Muslim neighborhood of Karada.
Behind Ali, plastered across the wall of a building, was one explanation for his venom: photocopied pictures of 161 neighborhood Shiite men whom he said were executed in Hussein's prisons for practicing their brand of Islam.
With U.S. forces stepping up their search for Hussein following the capture of his personal secretary last week, Iraqis who loathe the former leader are of many minds when it comes to his whereabouts.
Most, however, share the view of many U.S. officials that he is alive and hiding in Iraq.
"I'll be disappointed if Hussein's killed by American soldiers," said Abbas Mohammed, 38. "It would be too comfortable for him to die like that. What's the most painful way to die? Whatever you can think of won't be enough for him. I want to drink his blood."
Yet for all the visceral hatred of Hussein, Iraqis still live under the shadow of the 66-year-old fugitive. Reports Sunday that he and his two sons may have been killed in a U.S. attack on a four-vehicle convoy in western Iraq last week have not dampened fears that he might return.
U.S. military officials also say Iraqis are reluctant to go to work for U.S.-led coalition forces because they are scared that if Hussein returns he will take revenge on them.
"He's in Iraq and he's watching us," said Majida Hikmat, 45. "We're afraid. He may come back."
The specter of Hussein also haunts Iraqis' visions of the future. While few say they want to see Hussein back in power, they long for an antidote to traffic jams, long lines at the gas pumps, garbage on street corners and electricity shortages.
Sawsan Abdul al-Razak, for one, would like to see Hussein return. "I admire him because he has a strong personality and he's a strong man," said the 43-year-old member of the Sunni sect of Islam, from whose Iraqi followers Hussein drew support. "I hope he comes back."
Talking with visitors this week in the living room of her home in the northern Baghdad district of Amariya, she denounced Iraqis who failed to defend Hussein's regime as "hypocrites" and insisted that if he returned, "a lot of Iraqis would support him because we don't feel safe and the Americans can't ensure security."
Hussein shadow haunts Iraqis
By Craig Nelson, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 29, 2003
BAGHDAD -- More than two months after Saddam Hussein's ouster from power, Iraqis seldom exhibit any "Where's Elvis?" frivolity when asked to speculate about the location of his hiding place.
But wherever he may be, Hussein's legion of enemies in Iraq is virtually unanimous about one thing: They want him to suffer and suffer terribly.
"He should put in a car and taken around Iraq so every Iraqi can see him and so every Arab leader can see the fate they'll meet if they do what he did. Then he should be put in a cage in a zoo and fed little bits of food like the animal that he is," said Salman Ali, 24, a watermelon seller in the predominantly Shiite Muslim neighborhood of Karada.
Behind Ali, plastered across the wall of a building, was one explanation for his venom: photocopied pictures of 161 neighborhood Shiite men whom he said were executed in Hussein's prisons for practicing their brand of Islam.
With U.S. forces stepping up their search for Hussein following the capture of his personal secretary last week, Iraqis who loathe the former leader are of many minds when it comes to his whereabouts.
Most, however, share the view of many U.S. officials that he is alive and hiding in Iraq.
"I'll be disappointed if Hussein's killed by American soldiers," said Abbas Mohammed, 38. "It would be too comfortable for him to die like that. What's the most painful way to die? Whatever you can think of won't be enough for him. I want to drink his blood."
Yet for all the visceral hatred of Hussein, Iraqis still live under the shadow of the 66-year-old fugitive. Reports Sunday that he and his two sons may have been killed in a U.S. attack on a four-vehicle convoy in western Iraq last week have not dampened fears that he might return.
U.S. military officials also say Iraqis are reluctant to go to work for U.S.-led coalition forces because they are scared that if Hussein returns he will take revenge on them.
"He's in Iraq and he's watching us," said Majida Hikmat, 45. "We're afraid. He may come back."
The specter of Hussein also haunts Iraqis' visions of the future. While few say they want to see Hussein back in power, they long for an antidote to traffic jams, long lines at the gas pumps, garbage on street corners and electricity shortages.
Sawsan Abdul al-Razak, for one, would like to see Hussein return. "I admire him because he has a strong personality and he's a strong man," said the 43-year-old member of the Sunni sect of Islam, from whose Iraqi followers Hussein drew support. "I hope he comes back."
Talking with visitors this week in the living room of her home in the northern Baghdad district of Amariya, she denounced Iraqis who failed to defend Hussein's regime as "hypocrites" and insisted that if he returned, "a lot of Iraqis would support him because we don't feel safe and the Americans can't ensure security."
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Pictures of war
| spliffslips's Album: Days of War Click on the link above to view the 312 pictures in this album. | |
| From this album you'll be able to view the pictures as a slideshow, turn them into your own personal screensaver, and even order prints of your favorite photos. As you enjoy spliffslips's album, remember that AOL's You've Got Pictures offers safe and easy photo sharing for digital camera users. Go to AOL Keyword: Pictures to learn how you can share your own pictures, or go to http://free.aol.com/tryaolfree/index.adp?294744 to try AOL - 1025 hours free for 45 days! | ||
Iraq's resistance war was planned
Jason Burke, Baghdad
Sunday June 29, 2003
The Observer
The bodies of two missing American soldiers were found yesterday as news emerged that a growing campaign of Iraqi resistance to coalition occupation may have been planned before the war began.
Allied officials now believe that a document recently found in Iraq detailing an 'emergency plan' for looting and sabotage in the wake of an invasion is probably authentic. It was prepared by the Iraqi intelligence service in January and marked 'top secret'. It outlined 11 kinds of sabotage, including burning government offices, cutting power and communication lines and attacking water purification plants.
What gives the document particular credence is that it appears to match exactly the growing chaos and large number of guerrilla attacks on coalition soldiers, oil facilities and power plants.
At least 61 US troops have died in Iraq since major combat was declared to be over on 1 May, including at least 23 in attacks. The latest death came on Friday when a soldier was killed in an ambush, and another shot in the neck and critically injured. Grenades were thrown at a US convoy as it passed through the Thawra area, a poor, mainly Shia Muslim part of the capital that had been largely free of anti-American violence.
US officials dismiss their casualties as 'militarily insignificant' and point out that there are 55,000 US troops in Baghdad. But the repeated attacks damage the forces' image of invulnerability and lead to harsher security measures that risk alienating swaths of the population.
A series of major operations involving hundreds of arrests have apparently failed to quell the unrest, much of which is believed to be committed by criminals hired by wealthy former Baath Party officials. Some attacks are also sponsored, security offi cials believe, by hardline religious groups.
It is not known who was behind Friday's attack although the prime suspects are Sunni Muslims from the west of Baghdad, where resistance to the US has so far been strongest. It is possible that they chose to attack Americans in a Shia Muslim area to bolster the impression that Iraq's majority Shia population, who have hitherto been relatively supportive of the occupying forces, are joining the fight against the coalition.
The spiral of violence has also hit British troops after six military policeman were killed and eight other soldiers injured in the southern Iraqi town of Majar Kabir. Yesterday UK troops returned to the village where the men were killed after dropping leaflets promising that there would be no 'mass punishment'.
Military officials insisted they were not offering an amnesty to those who were responsible for the killings. 'The priority is to win back the hearts and minds of the people,' an Army spokesman said. 'But by doing that one of the benefits will be that hope fully we will be able to catch the people responsible. There is certainly no amnesty.'
There is still no explanation of why the RMP detachment was not assisted by the substantial British forces near by when it was surrounded by an angry mob. Sources within the RMP in the UK told The Observer they suspected that the detachment may have been short of ammunition. One soldier recently returned from Iraq said that a shortage had led to ammunition being taken from military policemen to give to frontline units.
'When I was in Kosovo we had to borrow ammo and grenades off the Para Regiment to feel as though we were suitably armed when isolated. Apparently we were "policemen not soldiers", so we weren't issued it,' one source said. 'I know from friends in the Gulf that they had had a lot of ammo withdrawn because of this attitude. It cost them their lives.'
British military officials dismissed the claims last night. 'The idea that we send anyone out without enough ammunition is simply rubbish,' one said.
Jason Burke, Baghdad
Sunday June 29, 2003
The Observer
The bodies of two missing American soldiers were found yesterday as news emerged that a growing campaign of Iraqi resistance to coalition occupation may have been planned before the war began.
Allied officials now believe that a document recently found in Iraq detailing an 'emergency plan' for looting and sabotage in the wake of an invasion is probably authentic. It was prepared by the Iraqi intelligence service in January and marked 'top secret'. It outlined 11 kinds of sabotage, including burning government offices, cutting power and communication lines and attacking water purification plants.
What gives the document particular credence is that it appears to match exactly the growing chaos and large number of guerrilla attacks on coalition soldiers, oil facilities and power plants.
At least 61 US troops have died in Iraq since major combat was declared to be over on 1 May, including at least 23 in attacks. The latest death came on Friday when a soldier was killed in an ambush, and another shot in the neck and critically injured. Grenades were thrown at a US convoy as it passed through the Thawra area, a poor, mainly Shia Muslim part of the capital that had been largely free of anti-American violence.
US officials dismiss their casualties as 'militarily insignificant' and point out that there are 55,000 US troops in Baghdad. But the repeated attacks damage the forces' image of invulnerability and lead to harsher security measures that risk alienating swaths of the population.
A series of major operations involving hundreds of arrests have apparently failed to quell the unrest, much of which is believed to be committed by criminals hired by wealthy former Baath Party officials. Some attacks are also sponsored, security offi cials believe, by hardline religious groups.
It is not known who was behind Friday's attack although the prime suspects are Sunni Muslims from the west of Baghdad, where resistance to the US has so far been strongest. It is possible that they chose to attack Americans in a Shia Muslim area to bolster the impression that Iraq's majority Shia population, who have hitherto been relatively supportive of the occupying forces, are joining the fight against the coalition.
The spiral of violence has also hit British troops after six military policeman were killed and eight other soldiers injured in the southern Iraqi town of Majar Kabir. Yesterday UK troops returned to the village where the men were killed after dropping leaflets promising that there would be no 'mass punishment'.
Military officials insisted they were not offering an amnesty to those who were responsible for the killings. 'The priority is to win back the hearts and minds of the people,' an Army spokesman said. 'But by doing that one of the benefits will be that hope fully we will be able to catch the people responsible. There is certainly no amnesty.'
There is still no explanation of why the RMP detachment was not assisted by the substantial British forces near by when it was surrounded by an angry mob. Sources within the RMP in the UK told The Observer they suspected that the detachment may have been short of ammunition. One soldier recently returned from Iraq said that a shortage had led to ammunition being taken from military policemen to give to frontline units.
'When I was in Kosovo we had to borrow ammo and grenades off the Para Regiment to feel as though we were suitably armed when isolated. Apparently we were "policemen not soldiers", so we weren't issued it,' one source said. 'I know from friends in the Gulf that they had had a lot of ammo withdrawn because of this attitude. It cost them their lives.'
British military officials dismissed the claims last night. 'The idea that we send anyone out without enough ammunition is simply rubbish,' one said.
Iran student leaders say crisis deepening: "Public opposition to Iran's ruling clerical establishment is deepening, a student leader said Saturday, as officials reported that more than 4,000 people were arrested during this month's pro-reform protests."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Remains of missing U.S. soldiers found in CNN - War in Iraq
U.S. SOLDIER DIES FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT in CENTCOM: News Release
Mandela unrelenting ahead of Bush tour of Africa in Radio Free USA
US push for global police force (28 June 03) in Radio Free USA
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Remains of missing U.S. soldiers found in CNN - War in Iraq
U.S. SOLDIER DIES FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT in CENTCOM: News Release
Mandela unrelenting ahead of Bush tour of Africa in Radio Free USA
US push for global police force (28 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Posted on Sat, Jun. 28, 2003
N.C.-Based Marines Return Home From Iraq
BOB JORDAN
Associated Press
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Families and friends greeted troops with tears and cheers Saturday as the last wave of Marines from Task Force Tarawa returned to their home base from Iraq.
"I'm super blessed," said Gunnery Sgt. Bryant Davis, 36, of Atlanta, who let out three "Wooos!" after embracing his young nieces outside Camp Lejeune's barracks.
Davis was one of 2,000 Marines aboard the USS Kearsarge, the last of the seven-ship Amphibious Task Force East that arrived on the North Carolina coast this past week.
"It's a beautiful day to come to the United States of America," said Davis, an 18-year Marine veteran.
Troops from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, which saw heavy fighting and 23 members die during the war, began arriving in stages at Camp Lejeune and neighboring bases a week ago. A total of 7,000 ground troops and aviators were expected to be home by Sunday.
Marines came ashore on landing crafts as the sun rose Saturday. Awaiting families at the pier held children, signs and mementos of their returning Marines.
The parents of Lance Cpl. Michael Thompson carried a sign with the signature of first- and second-graders at St. Luke's Lutheran School in Culpeper, Va., where Thompson's mother, Andrea, teaches.
"We are relieved to have him home," Andrea Thompson said. "It's been an emotional roller coaster."
The Virginia-based flotilla carried about 5,000 sailors, more than 7,000 Lejeune-based Marines and tons of heavy equipment and aircraft during service in the Middle East. The Kearsarge is due back at its home port in Norfolk, Va., on Monday.
While in Iraq, brigade members helped rescue Army Pvt. Jessica Lynch and captured 1,000 prisoners of war. They also helped liberate the cities of Nasiriyah, Amarah, Diwaniyah and Kut. Fifty-eight brigade members were wounded.
"We can't forget the ones who didn't make it home," Andrea Thompson said.
Over half of Camp Lejeune's 30,000 troops were overseas in Iraq and other stations this winter and spring. About 2,300 members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit returned a month ago.
Brenda Echterling, 44, of LaGrange, Ind., worried her son, Lance Cpl. David Echterling, would be delayed further when the Kearsarge was ordered to travel to Liberia to evacuate U.S. citizens after civil war broke out there. But the Kearsarge was ordered home again after a cease-fire agreement was signed in Liberia earlier this month.
Brenda Echterling said: "I started crying when I found out his ship had been diverted to Liberia, but it's OK now. He's home."
Melissa D'Orta cried tears of joy as her husband, Staff Sgt. Jeramie D'Orta of Orange County, Va., approached her with daughter Nicole, and son, Vincent, already in his arms.
"I'm home, baby, I'm home," the sergeant said. "It's all right."
His wife said later: "It's just wonderful."
N.C.-Based Marines Return Home From Iraq
BOB JORDAN
Associated Press
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Families and friends greeted troops with tears and cheers Saturday as the last wave of Marines from Task Force Tarawa returned to their home base from Iraq.
"I'm super blessed," said Gunnery Sgt. Bryant Davis, 36, of Atlanta, who let out three "Wooos!" after embracing his young nieces outside Camp Lejeune's barracks.
Davis was one of 2,000 Marines aboard the USS Kearsarge, the last of the seven-ship Amphibious Task Force East that arrived on the North Carolina coast this past week.
"It's a beautiful day to come to the United States of America," said Davis, an 18-year Marine veteran.
Troops from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, which saw heavy fighting and 23 members die during the war, began arriving in stages at Camp Lejeune and neighboring bases a week ago. A total of 7,000 ground troops and aviators were expected to be home by Sunday.
Marines came ashore on landing crafts as the sun rose Saturday. Awaiting families at the pier held children, signs and mementos of their returning Marines.
The parents of Lance Cpl. Michael Thompson carried a sign with the signature of first- and second-graders at St. Luke's Lutheran School in Culpeper, Va., where Thompson's mother, Andrea, teaches.
"We are relieved to have him home," Andrea Thompson said. "It's been an emotional roller coaster."
The Virginia-based flotilla carried about 5,000 sailors, more than 7,000 Lejeune-based Marines and tons of heavy equipment and aircraft during service in the Middle East. The Kearsarge is due back at its home port in Norfolk, Va., on Monday.
While in Iraq, brigade members helped rescue Army Pvt. Jessica Lynch and captured 1,000 prisoners of war. They also helped liberate the cities of Nasiriyah, Amarah, Diwaniyah and Kut. Fifty-eight brigade members were wounded.
"We can't forget the ones who didn't make it home," Andrea Thompson said.
Over half of Camp Lejeune's 30,000 troops were overseas in Iraq and other stations this winter and spring. About 2,300 members of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit returned a month ago.
Brenda Echterling, 44, of LaGrange, Ind., worried her son, Lance Cpl. David Echterling, would be delayed further when the Kearsarge was ordered to travel to Liberia to evacuate U.S. citizens after civil war broke out there. But the Kearsarge was ordered home again after a cease-fire agreement was signed in Liberia earlier this month.
Brenda Echterling said: "I started crying when I found out his ship had been diverted to Liberia, but it's OK now. He's home."
Melissa D'Orta cried tears of joy as her husband, Staff Sgt. Jeramie D'Orta of Orange County, Va., approached her with daughter Nicole, and son, Vincent, already in his arms.
"I'm home, baby, I'm home," the sergeant said. "It's all right."
His wife said later: "It's just wonderful."
By ANGELA DELLI SANTI
Associated Press Writer
June 28, 2003, 6:55 PM EDT
Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe called home nearly every week and counseled his little brother to swear off girls and keep his head on straight. Pfc. Kevin Ott owned a gray and chrome Harley-Davidson motorcycle that he'd rev up at 7 a.m. whenever the weather was nice.
The bodies of the two soldiers _ Philippe, 37, of Roselle, N.J., and Ott, 27, of Orient, Ohio _ were discovered northwest of Baghdad early Saturday. The soldiers were reported missing three days earlier from the town of Balad, 25 miles north of the Iraqi capital.
The soldiers, both members of an artillery unit based in Fort Sill, Okla., disappeared Wednesday night amid a torrent of the guerrilla-style attacks and sabotage that have marred U.S. efforts to re-establish order since Saddam Hussein's ouster.
The U.S. death toll since the war in Iraq began now exceeds 200. About a third of U.S. troops killed in the Iraqi conflict have died in attacks or accidents since major combat was declared over May 1.
Philippe entered the Army in November 1988, and Ott had served since January 2002, said Maj. Steve Stover, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon. Philippe saw action in the Gulf War.
The eldest of nine children, Philippe enlisted after graduating from Elizabeth High School. He competed on the school's bowling team, and he carried a passion for the sport into adulthood, said Fedlyn Philippe, 16, Gladimir's youngest brother.
"He was like my best friend and my brother at the same time," Fedlyn said. "He was a person I could just talk to. I looked up to him a lot."
Fedlyn said members of his large extended family were still assembling at the Philippe home by midday Saturday. Gladimir's stepmother, who had just gotten the news after returning from work, sobbed loudly in the background.
Gladimir's father, Renisse Philippe, brought his family to New York from Haiti in 1970 and moved to New Jersey two years later.
On Friday, he said his son was not too concerned about combat in Iraq. "That's his job," the elder Philippe said. "He's going to do his job."
Gladimir called home two or three weeks ago, and left a long message when no one was home to receive the call, Fedlyn said.
The Army "was something (Gladimir) chose to do," his brother said. "He always told me not to join. He told me to play basketball and keep my head strong and don't worry about girls, and to do good in school."
Ott's parents live in Orient, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, and have requested privacy. A woman who answered the phone at the Ott home Saturday said, "Please don't bother us at the moment, and thank you very much for respecting our wishes."
Matt and Anna Gailis, who have lived next door to the Otts for about a year, spoke of Kevin's passion for his Harley, which he'd take out early in the morning.
"He was in and out at odd hours," Matt Gailis, 31, said. "He seemed like a nice enough guy."
Five other Army soldiers from New Jersey have died during Operation Iraqi Freedom: U.S. Army Spc. Kyle Griffin, 20, of Emerson; Master Sgt. Terry Hemingway, 39, of Willingboro; Cpl. Michael E. Curtin, 23, of Howell Township; Army Spc. Gil Mercado, 25, a native of Paterson whose family lives in Puerto Rico; and Spc. Narson B. Sullivan, 21, of North Brunswick.
Associated Press Writer
June 28, 2003, 6:55 PM EDT
Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe called home nearly every week and counseled his little brother to swear off girls and keep his head on straight. Pfc. Kevin Ott owned a gray and chrome Harley-Davidson motorcycle that he'd rev up at 7 a.m. whenever the weather was nice.
The bodies of the two soldiers _ Philippe, 37, of Roselle, N.J., and Ott, 27, of Orient, Ohio _ were discovered northwest of Baghdad early Saturday. The soldiers were reported missing three days earlier from the town of Balad, 25 miles north of the Iraqi capital.
The soldiers, both members of an artillery unit based in Fort Sill, Okla., disappeared Wednesday night amid a torrent of the guerrilla-style attacks and sabotage that have marred U.S. efforts to re-establish order since Saddam Hussein's ouster.
The U.S. death toll since the war in Iraq began now exceeds 200. About a third of U.S. troops killed in the Iraqi conflict have died in attacks or accidents since major combat was declared over May 1.
Philippe entered the Army in November 1988, and Ott had served since January 2002, said Maj. Steve Stover, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon. Philippe saw action in the Gulf War.
The eldest of nine children, Philippe enlisted after graduating from Elizabeth High School. He competed on the school's bowling team, and he carried a passion for the sport into adulthood, said Fedlyn Philippe, 16, Gladimir's youngest brother.
"He was like my best friend and my brother at the same time," Fedlyn said. "He was a person I could just talk to. I looked up to him a lot."
Fedlyn said members of his large extended family were still assembling at the Philippe home by midday Saturday. Gladimir's stepmother, who had just gotten the news after returning from work, sobbed loudly in the background.
Gladimir's father, Renisse Philippe, brought his family to New York from Haiti in 1970 and moved to New Jersey two years later.
On Friday, he said his son was not too concerned about combat in Iraq. "That's his job," the elder Philippe said. "He's going to do his job."
Gladimir called home two or three weeks ago, and left a long message when no one was home to receive the call, Fedlyn said.
The Army "was something (Gladimir) chose to do," his brother said. "He always told me not to join. He told me to play basketball and keep my head strong and don't worry about girls, and to do good in school."
Ott's parents live in Orient, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, and have requested privacy. A woman who answered the phone at the Ott home Saturday said, "Please don't bother us at the moment, and thank you very much for respecting our wishes."
Matt and Anna Gailis, who have lived next door to the Otts for about a year, spoke of Kevin's passion for his Harley, which he'd take out early in the morning.
"He was in and out at odd hours," Matt Gailis, 31, said. "He seemed like a nice enough guy."
Five other Army soldiers from New Jersey have died during Operation Iraqi Freedom: U.S. Army Spc. Kyle Griffin, 20, of Emerson; Master Sgt. Terry Hemingway, 39, of Willingboro; Cpl. Michael E. Curtin, 23, of Howell Township; Army Spc. Gil Mercado, 25, a native of Paterson whose family lives in Puerto Rico; and Spc. Narson B. Sullivan, 21, of North Brunswick.
June 29, 2003
Once Hailed, Soldiers in Iraq Now Feel Blame at Each Step
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
AGHDAD, Iraq, June 28 — After riding into Iraq on a wave of popular euphoria, American and British forces are unexpectedly finding themselves the brunt of criticism for everything that goes wrong these days.
"We are furious about people pointing guns at us," said Hamid Hussein, 33, pushing his broken-down Volkswagen bus to the front door of his house this morning. A United States Army Humvee was parked in the middle of his street, and a soldier in the turret ordered Mr. Hussein in English to stop where he was.
If the complaint is not about security, then it is about the lack of electricity this week in Baghdad.
"Don't talk to me about Saddam Hussein," snapped Ibrahim Aullaiwi, a 46-year-old shop owner in the poor neighborhood of New Baghdad. "The Americans are in charge of everything here. They could have brought generators in here within 24 hours."
Like Mr. Aullaiwi, many residents of Baghdad seem to ignore the fact that the electricity disruption was caused at least in part by sabotage and looting. Seething in 110-degree heat without air-conditioners, fans or refrigerators, many residents were already furious about chronic power failures over the past two months.
Whether battling saboteurs or snipers, American and British occupation leaders find that the public mood has turned critical, even though countless Iraqis remain pleased that Saddam Hussein is gone and still place considerable hope in the Americans and British to improve things.
The scorn, and the risk to the Western forces, can go together. That was the case when an angry crowd in the southern town of Majar al Kabir killed six British soldiers on Tuesday, and many residents contended that the British set off the disturbance by trying to search Muslim homes, a claim the British dispute.
American soldiers sometimes infuriate Iraqis by running afoul of time-honored tradition. On Thursday, soldiers on patrol in an Army convoy here heard gunshots and rushed into a house from all sides. It turned out there was a wedding party under way, a ceremony that often occurs on Thursday evenings and is celebrated with gunfire. The Americans added to the anger among the revelers by roughly grabbing and arresting a young man who was trying to sneak off in a taxi with his gun, according to a witness.
Earlier this month when thousands of American troops raided what they believed were bases for loyalists to Saddam Hussein, provoking a lengthy firefight that killed four Iraqis, the Shiite newspaper Al Dawa described the deaths as "martyrdom."
The drumbeat of daily attacks on allied soldiers, meanwhile, is forcing military leaders to strike back with measures that often increase anger and fear.
Soldiers in full-body armor, often without translators, show up at houses in the middle of the night and politely but firmly demand to search for weapons. Jittery soldiers in Humvees and tanks point machine guns at Iraqi cars that show the slightest hint of irregular behavior.
The tensions seem certain to increase. Attacks on American soldiers, though they do not endanger the overall military plan, have continued steadily for three weeks.
Today in Baquba, about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad, an unidentified person threw a grenade at American soldiers in a Humvee. The grenade missed the soldiers but wounded two Iraqis who happened to be shopping nearby.
The scene made for grisly images today on Al Jazeera, the Arabic television network based in Qatar: bloodied Iraqis at the sides of American soldiers.
Late Friday night, a grenade attack in the Baghdad district of Thawra left one American soldier dead, four soldiers wounded and one Iraqi interpreter wounded.
In yet another neighborhood of Baghdad that night, residents said someone fired a rocket-propelled grenade at an American armored personnel carrier. Military officials could not confirm the incident as of early this afternoon.
Those were merely the most recent deadly incidents in a week that included sniper attacks on individual soldiers, bombs placed under trucks and rocket-propelled grenades fired at Humvees.
American military commanders have greatly stepped up the pace of house-to-house sweeps, in which hundreds of soldiers temporarily close off neighborhoods and then search each house for weapons or any hints of loyalty to Saddam Hussein.
The searches usually proceed without serious conflicts, but the experiences are jarring for many people. On one recent raid, soldiers handcuffed and detained a man who had posters of Mr. Hussein in several of his rooms. The man went peacefully and was released after questioning.
British commanders, who have prided themselves on their ability to project a friendly image to Iraqis, learned this week just how explosive such searches can be.
Conservative Shiite Muslims in the southern town of Majar al Kabir had demanded that British soldiers refrain from house searches because they were disrespectful.
British commanders said they agreed to the demand, but troops set off a melee on Wednesday simply by showing up in the town. Mobs cornered and then killed several soldiers in a police station, and several more outside. Six soldiers died and eight more had been wounded by the time the dust settled.
Today, British forces returned to Majar al Kabir accompanied by at least five tanks as well as helicopters overhead. To ease tensions, the British have distributed leaflets begging residents to believe in the soldiers' peaceful intentions.
"Do not let rumors and misinformation split us apart," the leaflets say. "We will not return to punish you. That was the tactic of Saddam's regime."
One problem facing both British and American officials is their own limited ability to communicate through mass media. The American-led Coalition Provisional Authority inaugurated radio and television broadcasts last month, but the television broadcasts are only a few hours a night and are mostly devoted to reruns of Arab-language entertainment shows.
Meanwhile, Iraqis listen to television broadcasts from the Iranian network Al Alam, which is overwhelmingly critical of American forces in Iraq and the United States in general. Television sets here can receive Al Alam with the help of a large antenna. For the growing number of Iraqis with satellite dishes, the most influential source of news may be Al Jazeera. It has been critical of the allied forces and has assiduously and quickly reported attacks on American soldiers.
Meanwhile, Iraq has seen a flood of new newspapers. While some are balanced, and one or two are pro-American, many are plainly hostile.
An article on the front page of Al Haqiqa, one of several Shiite newspapers, reported that "unemployment and the chaos of security are the root causes of Iraqis clashing with Americans."
And in a separate front-page headline, the newspaper quoted a prominent Shiite leader as saying, "No Dialogue with the Occupier."
Once Hailed, Soldiers in Iraq Now Feel Blame at Each Step
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
AGHDAD, Iraq, June 28 — After riding into Iraq on a wave of popular euphoria, American and British forces are unexpectedly finding themselves the brunt of criticism for everything that goes wrong these days.
"We are furious about people pointing guns at us," said Hamid Hussein, 33, pushing his broken-down Volkswagen bus to the front door of his house this morning. A United States Army Humvee was parked in the middle of his street, and a soldier in the turret ordered Mr. Hussein in English to stop where he was.
If the complaint is not about security, then it is about the lack of electricity this week in Baghdad.
"Don't talk to me about Saddam Hussein," snapped Ibrahim Aullaiwi, a 46-year-old shop owner in the poor neighborhood of New Baghdad. "The Americans are in charge of everything here. They could have brought generators in here within 24 hours."
Like Mr. Aullaiwi, many residents of Baghdad seem to ignore the fact that the electricity disruption was caused at least in part by sabotage and looting. Seething in 110-degree heat without air-conditioners, fans or refrigerators, many residents were already furious about chronic power failures over the past two months.
Whether battling saboteurs or snipers, American and British occupation leaders find that the public mood has turned critical, even though countless Iraqis remain pleased that Saddam Hussein is gone and still place considerable hope in the Americans and British to improve things.
The scorn, and the risk to the Western forces, can go together. That was the case when an angry crowd in the southern town of Majar al Kabir killed six British soldiers on Tuesday, and many residents contended that the British set off the disturbance by trying to search Muslim homes, a claim the British dispute.
American soldiers sometimes infuriate Iraqis by running afoul of time-honored tradition. On Thursday, soldiers on patrol in an Army convoy here heard gunshots and rushed into a house from all sides. It turned out there was a wedding party under way, a ceremony that often occurs on Thursday evenings and is celebrated with gunfire. The Americans added to the anger among the revelers by roughly grabbing and arresting a young man who was trying to sneak off in a taxi with his gun, according to a witness.
Earlier this month when thousands of American troops raided what they believed were bases for loyalists to Saddam Hussein, provoking a lengthy firefight that killed four Iraqis, the Shiite newspaper Al Dawa described the deaths as "martyrdom."
The drumbeat of daily attacks on allied soldiers, meanwhile, is forcing military leaders to strike back with measures that often increase anger and fear.
Soldiers in full-body armor, often without translators, show up at houses in the middle of the night and politely but firmly demand to search for weapons. Jittery soldiers in Humvees and tanks point machine guns at Iraqi cars that show the slightest hint of irregular behavior.
The tensions seem certain to increase. Attacks on American soldiers, though they do not endanger the overall military plan, have continued steadily for three weeks.
Today in Baquba, about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad, an unidentified person threw a grenade at American soldiers in a Humvee. The grenade missed the soldiers but wounded two Iraqis who happened to be shopping nearby.
The scene made for grisly images today on Al Jazeera, the Arabic television network based in Qatar: bloodied Iraqis at the sides of American soldiers.
Late Friday night, a grenade attack in the Baghdad district of Thawra left one American soldier dead, four soldiers wounded and one Iraqi interpreter wounded.
In yet another neighborhood of Baghdad that night, residents said someone fired a rocket-propelled grenade at an American armored personnel carrier. Military officials could not confirm the incident as of early this afternoon.
Those were merely the most recent deadly incidents in a week that included sniper attacks on individual soldiers, bombs placed under trucks and rocket-propelled grenades fired at Humvees.
American military commanders have greatly stepped up the pace of house-to-house sweeps, in which hundreds of soldiers temporarily close off neighborhoods and then search each house for weapons or any hints of loyalty to Saddam Hussein.
The searches usually proceed without serious conflicts, but the experiences are jarring for many people. On one recent raid, soldiers handcuffed and detained a man who had posters of Mr. Hussein in several of his rooms. The man went peacefully and was released after questioning.
British commanders, who have prided themselves on their ability to project a friendly image to Iraqis, learned this week just how explosive such searches can be.
Conservative Shiite Muslims in the southern town of Majar al Kabir had demanded that British soldiers refrain from house searches because they were disrespectful.
British commanders said they agreed to the demand, but troops set off a melee on Wednesday simply by showing up in the town. Mobs cornered and then killed several soldiers in a police station, and several more outside. Six soldiers died and eight more had been wounded by the time the dust settled.
Today, British forces returned to Majar al Kabir accompanied by at least five tanks as well as helicopters overhead. To ease tensions, the British have distributed leaflets begging residents to believe in the soldiers' peaceful intentions.
"Do not let rumors and misinformation split us apart," the leaflets say. "We will not return to punish you. That was the tactic of Saddam's regime."
One problem facing both British and American officials is their own limited ability to communicate through mass media. The American-led Coalition Provisional Authority inaugurated radio and television broadcasts last month, but the television broadcasts are only a few hours a night and are mostly devoted to reruns of Arab-language entertainment shows.
Meanwhile, Iraqis listen to television broadcasts from the Iranian network Al Alam, which is overwhelmingly critical of American forces in Iraq and the United States in general. Television sets here can receive Al Alam with the help of a large antenna. For the growing number of Iraqis with satellite dishes, the most influential source of news may be Al Jazeera. It has been critical of the allied forces and has assiduously and quickly reported attacks on American soldiers.
Meanwhile, Iraq has seen a flood of new newspapers. While some are balanced, and one or two are pro-American, many are plainly hostile.
An article on the front page of Al Haqiqa, one of several Shiite newspapers, reported that "unemployment and the chaos of security are the root causes of Iraqis clashing with Americans."
And in a separate front-page headline, the newspaper quoted a prominent Shiite leader as saying, "No Dialogue with the Occupier."
Souris marine caused family some stress
June 28, 2003
By Thana Dharmarajah
Back in the comforts of his Souris home after serving five months in Iraq, Lance Cpl. William Slade Brandon is thinking about leaving behind his life as a marine.
"I don't think I want to put my family through that again," says the 22-year-old, who came home Monday night.
Brandon was the crew chief of an amphibious assault vehicle with the 2nd Expeditionary Force.
He left his base in the U.S. for Kuwait Feb.8, and was posted near An Nasiriyah in southern Iraq before the war started. As the war began, his unit's first mission was to secure the oil fields in various cities and push on to Baghdad.
"I don't think I could ever know what they were going through," says Brandon of his parents. "I hope I never have to. I can't imagine how hard it was for them while I was over there."
In early March, Brandon's parents were devastated to hear the news that eight marines from his division were missing in action.
Robert and Esther Brandon spent months watching CNN, Newsworld and scouring the newspapers to find tidbits of information about her son's division.
"We were under a lot of stress," says Robert. "We were worried a lot."
"As parents, to have a son or daughter in the military, you know what the job is, but it doesn't take the worry away."
The former Canadian Forces reservist, who has dual citizenship, joined the U.S. Marines in the fall of 2000.
He plans on leaving the U.S. marines next September and pursuing further education.
However, his experience in Iraq has opened his eyes to another world.
Back in Canada, he realizes the many advantages the Western world has.
"We have so much more than those people," says Brandon. "I'm hoping what we did over there is going to make life better for the Iraqi people."
He says many of the Iraqis appreciated the U.S. presence, as he talks about one man and his son, who would visit them each day to offer them pita bread, goat's milk yogurt and tea.
Looking back, Brandon also remembers moments he was scared stiff for his life.
He thinks back to "tank night." A severe dust storm was blowing through An Nasiriyah, and their unit heard an Iraqi armoured unit was 130 miles north of their location, heading towards them.
Brandon's unit headed north and set up their defence. Soon after, they saw the Iraqi convoy moving in front of them about seven kilometres away.
"We started hitting them with arty," he says, but they couldn't see well.
As the dust storm grew severe, they had to stop.
"You couldn't see anything. You couldn't see the hands in front of your face."
The other marines were yelling at each other over the radios, and Brandon passed out in the back of the vehicle from sheer exhaustion.
"I had said my goodbyes," he says.
But, the dust storm managed to save their unit because the Iraqi convoy could no longer spot them.
Although, Brandon is leaving behind marine life, he says enlisting in the U.S. marines had always been his dream.
"I wanted to be part of what I thought was the best," he says, pointing out through his research he learnt the U.S. marines had the highest standards and the best training.
Since he was four, Brandon grew up playing with G.I. Joes and toy guns.
But, heading off to war is another story.
"Being a kid and playing with toy guns, it wasn't the same thing."
thana@brandonsun.com
June 28, 2003
By Thana Dharmarajah
Back in the comforts of his Souris home after serving five months in Iraq, Lance Cpl. William Slade Brandon is thinking about leaving behind his life as a marine.
"I don't think I want to put my family through that again," says the 22-year-old, who came home Monday night.
Brandon was the crew chief of an amphibious assault vehicle with the 2nd Expeditionary Force.
He left his base in the U.S. for Kuwait Feb.8, and was posted near An Nasiriyah in southern Iraq before the war started. As the war began, his unit's first mission was to secure the oil fields in various cities and push on to Baghdad.
"I don't think I could ever know what they were going through," says Brandon of his parents. "I hope I never have to. I can't imagine how hard it was for them while I was over there."
In early March, Brandon's parents were devastated to hear the news that eight marines from his division were missing in action.
Robert and Esther Brandon spent months watching CNN, Newsworld and scouring the newspapers to find tidbits of information about her son's division.
"We were under a lot of stress," says Robert. "We were worried a lot."
"As parents, to have a son or daughter in the military, you know what the job is, but it doesn't take the worry away."
The former Canadian Forces reservist, who has dual citizenship, joined the U.S. Marines in the fall of 2000.
He plans on leaving the U.S. marines next September and pursuing further education.
However, his experience in Iraq has opened his eyes to another world.
Back in Canada, he realizes the many advantages the Western world has.
"We have so much more than those people," says Brandon. "I'm hoping what we did over there is going to make life better for the Iraqi people."
He says many of the Iraqis appreciated the U.S. presence, as he talks about one man and his son, who would visit them each day to offer them pita bread, goat's milk yogurt and tea.
Looking back, Brandon also remembers moments he was scared stiff for his life.
He thinks back to "tank night." A severe dust storm was blowing through An Nasiriyah, and their unit heard an Iraqi armoured unit was 130 miles north of their location, heading towards them.
Brandon's unit headed north and set up their defence. Soon after, they saw the Iraqi convoy moving in front of them about seven kilometres away.
"We started hitting them with arty," he says, but they couldn't see well.
As the dust storm grew severe, they had to stop.
"You couldn't see anything. You couldn't see the hands in front of your face."
The other marines were yelling at each other over the radios, and Brandon passed out in the back of the vehicle from sheer exhaustion.
"I had said my goodbyes," he says.
But, the dust storm managed to save their unit because the Iraqi convoy could no longer spot them.
Although, Brandon is leaving behind marine life, he says enlisting in the U.S. marines had always been his dream.
"I wanted to be part of what I thought was the best," he says, pointing out through his research he learnt the U.S. marines had the highest standards and the best training.
Since he was four, Brandon grew up playing with G.I. Joes and toy guns.
But, heading off to war is another story.
"Being a kid and playing with toy guns, it wasn't the same thing."
thana@brandonsun.com
War Blog Iraq War Updates
Campbell 'threatens to take BBC battle to watchdog': "Alastair Campbell could take his bitter battle with the BBC to the Broadcasting Standards Commission."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
US soldier dies in convoy attack in BBC: War in Iraq
COALITION CONTINUES EFFORTS TO REBUILD IRAQ (JUNE 28, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
Campbell 'threatens to take BBC battle to watchdog': "Alastair Campbell could take his bitter battle with the BBC to the Broadcasting Standards Commission."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
US soldier dies in convoy attack in BBC: War in Iraq
COALITION CONTINUES EFFORTS TO REBUILD IRAQ (JUNE 28, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
Blair Offers More Troops for Iraq After Killing of 6 Britons
Wed Jun 25, 2:56 PM ET
By ALAN COWELL The New York Times
LONDON, June 25 After the killing of six British soldiers in disputed circumstances in southern Iraq Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged today to maintain Britain's military presence and offered to send reinforcements if commanders on the ground asked for them.
Wed Jun 25, 2:56 PM ET
By ALAN COWELL The New York Times
LONDON, June 25 After the killing of six British soldiers in disputed circumstances in southern Iraq Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged today to maintain Britain's military presence and offered to send reinforcements if commanders on the ground asked for them.
US troops detain 900 former Saddam loyalists
BAGHDAD (AFP) - The US army has detained more than 900 former loyalists of the Saddam Hussein regime who have been "subverting" US efforts to rebuild Iraq, a senior US military official said Saturday.
"In the last week, we have detained more than 900 former regime loyalists, former Fedayeen and other criminals that are out there subverting our efforts," said the official who did not wish to be named.
The official, however, said "not all the 900 are still being held". He did not specify how many of them were still being detained.
On June 17, the US military had announced that 371 people in the Baghdad area and northern Iraq were detained as part of Operation Desert Scorpion aimed at rooting out armed resistance.
BAGHDAD (AFP) - The US army has detained more than 900 former loyalists of the Saddam Hussein regime who have been "subverting" US efforts to rebuild Iraq, a senior US military official said Saturday.
"In the last week, we have detained more than 900 former regime loyalists, former Fedayeen and other criminals that are out there subverting our efforts," said the official who did not wish to be named.
The official, however, said "not all the 900 are still being held". He did not specify how many of them were still being detained.
On June 17, the US military had announced that 371 people in the Baghdad area and northern Iraq were detained as part of Operation Desert Scorpion aimed at rooting out armed resistance.
ONE SOLDIER KILLED, FOUR WOUNDED IN GRENADE ATTACK in CENTCOM: News Release
UK Government Renews Demand for BBC Apology: "A war of words between the Britishgovernment and the BBC over Iraq gained momentum on Saturdayafter the prime minister's press chief appeared on a rivaltelevision channel to renew his demand for an apology. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Sleepless Days and Nights: ""Bremer is based now in Saddam's former palace with a staff of about six hundred. These six hundred people have so far cost $300 million in salaries and expenses. This is nearly twice the amount paid to-date to 24 million Iraqis in salaries and pensions." Michael Birmingham writes of the bitter reality that has taken shape in Iraq. Michael is currently in Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
UK Government Renews Demand for BBC Apology: "A war of words between the Britishgovernment and the BBC over Iraq gained momentum on Saturdayafter the prime minister's press chief appeared on a rivaltelevision channel to renew his demand for an apology. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Sleepless Days and Nights: ""Bremer is based now in Saddam's former palace with a staff of about six hundred. These six hundred people have so far cost $300 million in salaries and expenses. This is nearly twice the amount paid to-date to 24 million Iraqis in salaries and pensions." Michael Birmingham writes of the bitter reality that has taken shape in Iraq. Michael is currently in Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
American Soldier Shot at Baghdad Market: "A gunman shot a U.S. soldier in the neck as he browsed a Baghdad market on Friday and American forces accidentally killed an 11-year-old boy, part of a vicious cycle of Iraqi attacks and ever-tougher U.S. crackdowns on resistance. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Army IDs 2 Soldiers Missing in Iraq: "The Army identified the two missing soldiers in Iraq on Friday as members of an artillery unit based in Fort Sill, Okla. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Army IDs 2 Soldiers Missing in Iraq: "The Army identified the two missing soldiers in Iraq on Friday as members of an artillery unit based in Fort Sill, Okla. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
War Blog Iraq War Updates
Mess assessment: "The U.S. is sending a five-person team to Baghdad to assess the state of post-war Iraq. The move comes amidst concerns for the stability of the country, as yet another American soldier was shot dead last night and after US soldiers shot and killed an 11-year-old boy they mistook for an armed attacker."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
U.S. evaluates success of 'Desert Scorpion' in CNN - War in Iraq
US Soldier Shot in Iraq, Analysts Warn of Revolt: "A U.S. soldier was shot in the head andcritically wounded while shopping in a Baghdad store on Friday,the latest target in a surge of attacks that analysts say couldexplode into open revolt. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Mess assessment: "The U.S. is sending a five-person team to Baghdad to assess the state of post-war Iraq. The move comes amidst concerns for the stability of the country, as yet another American soldier was shot dead last night and after US soldiers shot and killed an 11-year-old boy they mistook for an armed attacker."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
U.S. evaluates success of 'Desert Scorpion' in CNN - War in Iraq
US Soldier Shot in Iraq, Analysts Warn of Revolt: "A U.S. soldier was shot in the head andcritically wounded while shopping in a Baghdad store on Friday,the latest target in a surge of attacks that analysts say couldexplode into open revolt. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Ex-Iraq info minister evasive on TV: "The once-defiant former Iraqi information minister appeared humbled and evasive in a TV interview aired Friday, describing the fall of the Iraqi regime to coalition forces as an "earthquake" and refusing to blame Saddam Hussein for the war."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
The Suez Crisis: Annotated Bibliography of Three Selected Texts in RISQ
Army Identifies Soldiers Missing in Iraq: "The Army identified the two missing soldiers in Iraq on Friday as members of an artillery unit based in Fort Sill, Okla. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rumsfeld Says Iraqi Attacks Scattered: "Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Friday declined to attribute violence against U.S. soldiers in Iraq to guerrilla warfare, instead blaming scattered, disorganized remnants of the ousted Iraqi government. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi scientist says U.S. almost ignored him in CNN - War in Iraq
Witnesses: U.S. Soldier Shot in Baghdad: "Iraqi witnesses said an American soldier was shot in the neck while shopping and an Army truck struck what appeared to be a land mine Friday, the latest in a series of attacks raising concern that the United States could be confronting a guerrilla war in Iraq. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. asks countries to freeze Iraq assets: "Treasury Secretary John Snow is seeking international support to find and freeze financial assets of the former Iraqi government and transfer them to a fund to help rebuild Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Renegade militants could endanger truce: "Renegade bands of Palestinian militants promise to continue their attacks on Israelis despite an agreement by the main groups for a three-month truce, threatening to collapse the cease-fire before it starts."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
The Suez Crisis: Annotated Bibliography of Three Selected Texts in RISQ
Army Identifies Soldiers Missing in Iraq: "The Army identified the two missing soldiers in Iraq on Friday as members of an artillery unit based in Fort Sill, Okla. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rumsfeld Says Iraqi Attacks Scattered: "Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Friday declined to attribute violence against U.S. soldiers in Iraq to guerrilla warfare, instead blaming scattered, disorganized remnants of the ousted Iraqi government. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi scientist says U.S. almost ignored him in CNN - War in Iraq
Witnesses: U.S. Soldier Shot in Baghdad: "Iraqi witnesses said an American soldier was shot in the neck while shopping and an Army truck struck what appeared to be a land mine Friday, the latest in a series of attacks raising concern that the United States could be confronting a guerrilla war in Iraq. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. asks countries to freeze Iraq assets: "Treasury Secretary John Snow is seeking international support to find and freeze financial assets of the former Iraqi government and transfer them to a fund to help rebuild Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Renegade militants could endanger truce: "Renegade bands of Palestinian militants promise to continue their attacks on Israelis despite an agreement by the main groups for a three-month truce, threatening to collapse the cease-fire before it starts."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Friday, June 27, 2003
Search continues for missing U.S. soldiers
Search continues for missing U.S. soldiersHelicopters hovered in the air near the city of Balad on Friday, and Army Humvees and tanks roared through area streets as U.S. troops searched for two soldiers who disappeared Wednesday morning while on guard duty near this small town north of Baghdad.
Missing
NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense
No. 465-03
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jun 27, 2003
(703)697-5131(media)
(703)428-0711(public/industry)
DoD Identifies Soldiers Missing in Iraq
The Department of Defense announced today the identities of two soldiers
whose status has been listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown. The soldiers
failed to respond to a radio check on June 25, South of Balad, Iraq. A search party
was sent to the location of their last radio transmission. The soldiers are:
Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, 37, of Linden_,_ N.J. and Pfc. Kevin
C. Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio.
Both soldiers are assigned to Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 18th Field
Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Okla. The search is still ongoing.
[Web Version: http://dod.mil/releases/2003/nr20030627-0139.html]
-- News Releases: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases
-- DoD News: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/dodnews.html
-- Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/dodnews.html#e-mail
-- Today in DoD: http://www.defenselink.mil/today
No. 465-03
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jun 27, 2003
(703)697-5131(media)
(703)428-0711(public/industry)
DoD Identifies Soldiers Missing in Iraq
The Department of Defense announced today the identities of two soldiers
whose status has been listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown. The soldiers
failed to respond to a radio check on June 25, South of Balad, Iraq. A search party
was sent to the location of their last radio transmission. The soldiers are:
Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, 37, of Linden_,_ N.J. and Pfc. Kevin
C. Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio.
Both soldiers are assigned to Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 18th Field
Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Okla. The search is still ongoing.
[Web Version: http://dod.mil/releases/2003/nr20030627-0139.html]
-- News Releases: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases
-- DoD News: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/dodnews.html
-- Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/dodnews.html#e-mail
-- Today in DoD: http://www.defenselink.mil/today
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Soldiers Dead
U.S. Soldier Shot, Critically Wounded in Baghdad: "A U.S. soldier was shot and criticallywounded in Baghdad on Friday, in the latest of a spate ofattacks on coalition occupation forces. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US worried about growing toll in Iraq: "A group of US policy experts left Washington to carry out a review of post-war Iraq amid growing fears over the toll on US forces as they attempt to secure and start the rebuilding of the country. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Soldier Shot While Shopping in Iraq: "Iraqi witnesses said an American soldier was shot in the neck while shopping for videos and an Army truck struck an explosive device Friday - the latest in a series of attacks that have raised concern that the United States could be confronting a guerrilla war in Iraq. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Soldier Shot, Critically Wounded in Baghdad: "A U.S. soldier was shot and criticallywounded in Baghdad on Friday, in the latest of a spate ofattacks on coalition occupation forces. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US worried about growing toll in Iraq: "A group of US policy experts left Washington to carry out a review of post-war Iraq amid growing fears over the toll on US forces as they attempt to secure and start the rebuilding of the country. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Soldier Shot While Shopping in Iraq: "Iraqi witnesses said an American soldier was shot in the neck while shopping for videos and an Army truck struck an explosive device Friday - the latest in a series of attacks that have raised concern that the United States could be confronting a guerrilla war in Iraq. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
A Soldiers Blog Updates
New Iraqi Police Garner Some Respect: "It wasn't a big bust, but the Iraqi police pulled it off with apparent aplomb, thanks to some mentoring from the U.S. military. A marketplace was sealed off, a teahouse raided, and 15 traffickers of drugs and weapons are now in jail. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Sends Private Advisers to Assess Iraq Effort: "The Pentagon has sent a group ofprivate experts with extensive experience in the Clintonadministration to assess postwar reconstruction efforts in Iraqamid stubborn instability and escalating attacks on U.S. andBritish troops, officials said on Friday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Senate Confirms New Iraq Commander: "The Senate on Friday confirmed Army Lt. Gen. John Abizaid to replace Gen. Tommy Franks as head of U.S. Central Command, a position that includes responsibility for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israel, Palestinians OK Gaza pullback: "Israel and the Palestinians agreed in principle Friday on the terms of an Israeli pullback from parts of the Gaza Strip, Israel TV said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
New Iraqi Police Garner Some Respect: "It wasn't a big bust, but the Iraqi police pulled it off with apparent aplomb, thanks to some mentoring from the U.S. military. A marketplace was sealed off, a teahouse raided, and 15 traffickers of drugs and weapons are now in jail. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Sends Private Advisers to Assess Iraq Effort: "The Pentagon has sent a group ofprivate experts with extensive experience in the Clintonadministration to assess postwar reconstruction efforts in Iraqamid stubborn instability and escalating attacks on U.S. andBritish troops, officials said on Friday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Senate Confirms New Iraq Commander: "The Senate on Friday confirmed Army Lt. Gen. John Abizaid to replace Gen. Tommy Franks as head of U.S. Central Command, a position that includes responsibility for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israel, Palestinians OK Gaza pullback: "Israel and the Palestinians agreed in principle Friday on the terms of an Israeli pullback from parts of the Gaza Strip, Israel TV said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Senate Approves Abizaid to Head Centcom: "The Senate confirmed a Middle Eastexpert of Lebanese descent on Friday to replace Gen. TommyFranks as head of the U.S. Central Command that oversees hotspots of Iraq and Afghanistan. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqis stunned at reappearance of white-haired "Comical Ali": "Mohammed Said as-Sahhaf's surprise re-emergence has stunned Iraqis, although many joked that Saddam Hussein's famed wartime "lying machine" who appeared with his hair turned white was "his older brother." (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US sends policy experts to assess Iraq situation: "A group of policy experts from outside the government left for Iraq to provide Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and US administrator Paul Bremer with an informal assessment of the post-war situation in the country, a Pentagon spokesman said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
You Are Not Reading This!: "Much has been posted recently about our unofficial mascot, Comical Ali. While browsing Kevin's Wizbang I came across a link to this wonderful piece of technology, courtesy David Bloom : The Iraqi Information Minister Quote Generator . And remember:
In Command Post: Irak
Royal Democratic Alliance plans shadow government in Iraq: "The Royal Democratic Alliance, headed by pretender to Iraq's throne Prince Raad bin Zaid, announced plans for a shadow government to run the country. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqis stunned at reappearance of white-haired "Comical Ali": "Mohammed Said as-Sahhaf's surprise re-emergence has stunned Iraqis, although many joked that Saddam Hussein's famed wartime "lying machine" who appeared with his hair turned white was "his older brother." (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US sends policy experts to assess Iraq situation: "A group of policy experts from outside the government left for Iraq to provide Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and US administrator Paul Bremer with an informal assessment of the post-war situation in the country, a Pentagon spokesman said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
You Are Not Reading This!: "Much has been posted recently about our unofficial mascot, Comical Ali. While browsing Kevin's Wizbang I came across a link to this wonderful piece of technology, courtesy David Bloom : The Iraqi Information Minister Quote Generator . And remember:
Allah will defile the monkey's in Basra!"
In Command Post: Irak
Royal Democratic Alliance plans shadow government in Iraq: "The Royal Democratic Alliance, headed by pretender to Iraq's throne Prince Raad bin Zaid, announced plans for a shadow government to run the country. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rest In Peace Hero
NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense
No. 458-03
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jun 27, 2003
(703)697-5131(media)
(703)428-0711(public/industry)
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today that Lance Cpl. Gregory E. MacDonald, 29,
of Washington, D.C., was killed on June 25 in Iraq. MacDonald was killed when his
light armored vehicle he was traveling in rolled over.
MacDonald was assigned to Bravo Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion,
Frederick, Md.
[Web Version: http://dod.mil/releases/2003/nr20030627-0132.html]
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No. 458-03
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jun 27, 2003
(703)697-5131(media)
(703)428-0711(public/industry)
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today that Lance Cpl. Gregory E. MacDonald, 29,
of Washington, D.C., was killed on June 25 in Iraq. MacDonald was killed when his
light armored vehicle he was traveling in rolled over.
MacDonald was assigned to Bravo Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion,
Frederick, Md.
[Web Version: http://dod.mil/releases/2003/nr20030627-0132.html]
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Master.com.content
New Iraqi Police Garner Some Respect
From: spliffslips
--------------------
New Iraqi Police Garner Some Respect
--------------------
By MARK FRITZ
Associated Press Writer
June 27, 2003, 2:22 PM EDT
SAMAWAH, Iraq -- It wasn't a big bust, but the Iraqi police pulled it off with apparent aplomb, thanks to some mentoring from the U.S. military. A marketplace was sealed off, a teahouse raided, and 15 traffickers of drugs and weapons are now in jail.
Most important, the raid brought a measure of respect to a reconstituted police force still identified with the recently toppled regime.
"Crowds patted them on the back in the marketplace," U.S. Marine MP Ben Harrison tells the newly chosen police chief inside the refurbished police station of crime-ridden Samawah in southern Iraq.
The chief, Col. Fadel Abbass Ali, grins in appreciation. As part of Monday's action, the police and military nabbed a police sergeant on active duty selling drugs, even as he was under suspicion of helping regularly raid and rob a big cement factory in town.
"A bonus," Harrison tells Abbass Ali.
This looks like improvement in law and order, crime and punishment. The patrol officers, the chief says, are gradually gaining confidence in themselves as practitioners of a profession that few civilians respected under Saddam Hussein.
Later in the afternoon, Harrison, who is liaison to Abbass Ali, visits the evidence room, a suffocating little closet used to store guns when Saddam's men ran the joint. Harrison is miffed because a live hand grenade hasn't been marked with a paper tag showing from whom it was seized, and hasn't been turned over to the U.S. anti-bomb unit.
"Why hasn't this been tagged?" the towering lieutenant from Fairfax, Va., asks the perplexed new policemen.
Not only that, the afterglow of the raid has been dimmed by the disappearance of some of the evidence, particularly some medicine.
"It's not all here," Harrison says sternly. "Where is the rest of the stuff?"
Soon, an Iraqi officer slips in with a punched out, partially filled package of pills. "Where's the rest of it?" Harrison asks. But some of the new policemen have vanished.
Harrison strides off to talk to the new chief. Abbass Ali, a firefighter of great respect but scant police skills, is the third chief chosen in two months.
Later Tuesday evening, at the same main police station, a new Marine MP unit has transferred in to help keep the peace in Samawah. During the 4-to-midnight shift, a half-dozen members of the New York National Guard lounge around their Humvees outside the police station. All but one are regular cops. The raw recruits they're assigned to "mentor" sit and sprawl on the grass a way away. In Arabic or Brooklynese, each group has its gripes.
Then, a shot from an AK-47 cracks the quiet of the main street, just 200 yards and a narrow alley away from the precinct house. More shots quickly follow. It's a nightly thing and no one gets excited.
"Uh, police?" Sgt. Rick Triarty, a Yonkers police officer, calls sarcastically to the members of Samawah's police force, who suddenly realize he is referring to them and jump to their feet.
One enthusiastic rookie runs straight to where the shots originated, and where four shadowy figures move about.
"He's not carrying his gun!" says Brooklyn detective Tara Dawe, 26.
The four other Iraqi police swing hesitantly into action of sorts, most armed this time, and take off down the alley with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
The New York National Guardsmen, both hands on sidearms raised skyward, creep and dart sideways like sand crabs, their bodies always flat against the alley walls.
Up ahead, they get to see one of Samawah's finest open his line of questioning by kicking an apparently drunk old man square in the stomach. Two other officers saunter away with two other suspects.
Some Iraqi policemen ultimately return, with somebody who is either a suspect or a witness. The situation is a bit confused.
Marine reservist Greg Bruce, a 40-year-old Los Angeles Police Department patrolman who specializes in gangland crime, is philosophical.
"I think when you put together a police force, you don't necessarily pick the best, but the least worst," he says.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-crimefighting,0,7939558.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
--------------------
New Iraqi Police Garner Some Respect
--------------------
By MARK FRITZ
Associated Press Writer
June 27, 2003, 2:22 PM EDT
SAMAWAH, Iraq -- It wasn't a big bust, but the Iraqi police pulled it off with apparent aplomb, thanks to some mentoring from the U.S. military. A marketplace was sealed off, a teahouse raided, and 15 traffickers of drugs and weapons are now in jail.
Most important, the raid brought a measure of respect to a reconstituted police force still identified with the recently toppled regime.
"Crowds patted them on the back in the marketplace," U.S. Marine MP Ben Harrison tells the newly chosen police chief inside the refurbished police station of crime-ridden Samawah in southern Iraq.
The chief, Col. Fadel Abbass Ali, grins in appreciation. As part of Monday's action, the police and military nabbed a police sergeant on active duty selling drugs, even as he was under suspicion of helping regularly raid and rob a big cement factory in town.
"A bonus," Harrison tells Abbass Ali.
This looks like improvement in law and order, crime and punishment. The patrol officers, the chief says, are gradually gaining confidence in themselves as practitioners of a profession that few civilians respected under Saddam Hussein.
Later in the afternoon, Harrison, who is liaison to Abbass Ali, visits the evidence room, a suffocating little closet used to store guns when Saddam's men ran the joint. Harrison is miffed because a live hand grenade hasn't been marked with a paper tag showing from whom it was seized, and hasn't been turned over to the U.S. anti-bomb unit.
"Why hasn't this been tagged?" the towering lieutenant from Fairfax, Va., asks the perplexed new policemen.
Not only that, the afterglow of the raid has been dimmed by the disappearance of some of the evidence, particularly some medicine.
"It's not all here," Harrison says sternly. "Where is the rest of the stuff?"
Soon, an Iraqi officer slips in with a punched out, partially filled package of pills. "Where's the rest of it?" Harrison asks. But some of the new policemen have vanished.
Harrison strides off to talk to the new chief. Abbass Ali, a firefighter of great respect but scant police skills, is the third chief chosen in two months.
Later Tuesday evening, at the same main police station, a new Marine MP unit has transferred in to help keep the peace in Samawah. During the 4-to-midnight shift, a half-dozen members of the New York National Guard lounge around their Humvees outside the police station. All but one are regular cops. The raw recruits they're assigned to "mentor" sit and sprawl on the grass a way away. In Arabic or Brooklynese, each group has its gripes.
Then, a shot from an AK-47 cracks the quiet of the main street, just 200 yards and a narrow alley away from the precinct house. More shots quickly follow. It's a nightly thing and no one gets excited.
"Uh, police?" Sgt. Rick Triarty, a Yonkers police officer, calls sarcastically to the members of Samawah's police force, who suddenly realize he is referring to them and jump to their feet.
One enthusiastic rookie runs straight to where the shots originated, and where four shadowy figures move about.
"He's not carrying his gun!" says Brooklyn detective Tara Dawe, 26.
The four other Iraqi police swing hesitantly into action of sorts, most armed this time, and take off down the alley with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
The New York National Guardsmen, both hands on sidearms raised skyward, creep and dart sideways like sand crabs, their bodies always flat against the alley walls.
Up ahead, they get to see one of Samawah's finest open his line of questioning by kicking an apparently drunk old man square in the stomach. Two other officers saunter away with two other suspects.
Some Iraqi policemen ultimately return, with somebody who is either a suspect or a witness. The situation is a bit confused.
Marine reservist Greg Bruce, a 40-year-old Los Angeles Police Department patrolman who specializes in gangland crime, is philosophical.
"I think when you put together a police force, you don't necessarily pick the best, but the least worst," he says.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-crimefighting,0,7939558.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
Attacks Spur Allied Task in Iraq, U.S. Spokesman Says (Update3)
June 27 (Bloomberg) -- Attacks on U.S. and British soldiers in Iraq will spur coalition forces to complete their mission of ending resistance by loyalists to ousted leader Saddam Hussein and helping to rebuild the country, a White House spokesman said.
The mission isn't complete and President George W. Bush is ``determined to finish it,'' Ari Fleischer said yesterday in Washington. ``And that means finishing the job to help rout out those who, left to their own devices, will continue the killing of others as well as Americans.''
Allied troops have come under attack this week. The U.S. military command said a special operations soldier was killed yesterday and eight others wounded by hostile fire in southwestern Baghdad. Another died and nine were wounded in an attack in the town of Kufah, south of Baghdad, late yesterday when a U.S. patrol came under fire, Agence France-Presse cited the army as saying.
Two U.S. soldiers are missing after they went on patrol north of Baghdad two days ago, the U.S. military command said. Three Iraqis were detained for questioning about their disappearance, the Associated Press reported, citing the military.
U.S. officials believe the men's Humvee light armored vehicle may have been stolen for use in attacks on soldiers, AFP reported, citing U.S. Major Robert Twinner.
``They believe Fedayeen were using it, trying to get close to Americans with the vehicle to probably conduct another terrorist attack against them,'' Twinner told AFP. He said there was no news of the soldiers, AFP said.
U.K. Troops
Six British soldiers were killed earlier this week in an incident in a village near the southern city of Basra.
More than 20 allied soldiers have died in attacks since Bush declared the main fighting in Iraq over May 1. Parts of northern and central Iraq still aren't secured, General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said this week. The allies have carried out two operations this month aimed at finding members of Hussein's ousted Baath party and his militias.
Other incidents include an ambush on a convoy in west Baghdad yesterday that killed two Iraqi power workers, the AP said, citing U.S. military officials.
The increase in hostile actions is probably a response to raids aimed at finding Hussein loyalists, AP cited Major William Thurmond, a U.S. military spokesman, as saying yesterday.
``There have been more attacks recently, but it's probably premature to say this is part of a pattern,'' Thurmond told AP. ``We've kicked open the nests of some of these bad guys.''
The U.S. operation to round up loyalists has concentrated on an area north of the capital in the direction of Tikrit, Hussein's hometown, 145 kilometers from Baghdad.
Baath party supporters are being joined by paramilitary fighters, Myers said this week. How organized the groups are is ``yet to be determined,'' he said.
Last Updated: June 27, 2003 04:44 EDT
June 27 (Bloomberg) -- Attacks on U.S. and British soldiers in Iraq will spur coalition forces to complete their mission of ending resistance by loyalists to ousted leader Saddam Hussein and helping to rebuild the country, a White House spokesman said.
The mission isn't complete and President George W. Bush is ``determined to finish it,'' Ari Fleischer said yesterday in Washington. ``And that means finishing the job to help rout out those who, left to their own devices, will continue the killing of others as well as Americans.''
Allied troops have come under attack this week. The U.S. military command said a special operations soldier was killed yesterday and eight others wounded by hostile fire in southwestern Baghdad. Another died and nine were wounded in an attack in the town of Kufah, south of Baghdad, late yesterday when a U.S. patrol came under fire, Agence France-Presse cited the army as saying.
Two U.S. soldiers are missing after they went on patrol north of Baghdad two days ago, the U.S. military command said. Three Iraqis were detained for questioning about their disappearance, the Associated Press reported, citing the military.
U.S. officials believe the men's Humvee light armored vehicle may have been stolen for use in attacks on soldiers, AFP reported, citing U.S. Major Robert Twinner.
``They believe Fedayeen were using it, trying to get close to Americans with the vehicle to probably conduct another terrorist attack against them,'' Twinner told AFP. He said there was no news of the soldiers, AFP said.
U.K. Troops
Six British soldiers were killed earlier this week in an incident in a village near the southern city of Basra.
More than 20 allied soldiers have died in attacks since Bush declared the main fighting in Iraq over May 1. Parts of northern and central Iraq still aren't secured, General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said this week. The allies have carried out two operations this month aimed at finding members of Hussein's ousted Baath party and his militias.
Other incidents include an ambush on a convoy in west Baghdad yesterday that killed two Iraqi power workers, the AP said, citing U.S. military officials.
The increase in hostile actions is probably a response to raids aimed at finding Hussein loyalists, AP cited Major William Thurmond, a U.S. military spokesman, as saying yesterday.
``There have been more attacks recently, but it's probably premature to say this is part of a pattern,'' Thurmond told AP. ``We've kicked open the nests of some of these bad guys.''
The U.S. operation to round up loyalists has concentrated on an area north of the capital in the direction of Tikrit, Hussein's hometown, 145 kilometers from Baghdad.
Baath party supporters are being joined by paramilitary fighters, Myers said this week. How organized the groups are is ``yet to be determined,'' he said.
Last Updated: June 27, 2003 04:44 EDT
Recommended: "A search for patterns as Iraq unrest spreads"
________________________________________________________________________Headline: A search for patterns as Iraq unrest spreads
Byline: Peter Grier and Ann Scott Tyson Staff writer of The Christian
Date: 06/26/2003
(WASHINGTON)Spreading unrest in Iraq is making some in Washington wonder if armed
opposition to US and British forces there is more organized and
pervasive than previously believed.
US defense officials say they have no evidence that they are facing an
underground national Iraqi resistance movement. The recent spate of
fatal attacks on allied troops simply reflects the fact that security
in the country is "a little uneven," in the words of Gen. Richard
Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Coordination of these attacks is "undetermined," he says.
But violence in the previously quiet south, combined with apparent
sabotage of oil equipment, leads other analysts to suspect that small
networks of hardened fighters loyal to Saddam Hussein are beginning to
reconstitute themselves. The next few weeks thus might be a crucial
time in the US-led effort to rid the country of all vestiges of the
Hussein regime.
These small groups "have been doing a halfway decent job of slowing
down the US effort to stabilize the country," says Patrick Garrett, a
military analyst at GlobalSecurity.org.
If nothing else, the pockets of violent resistance to the US and
British presence have been inflicting a steady toll of casualties.
Since President Bush declared on May 1 that major fighting in Iraq was
over, 56 American troops have been killed.
By way of contrast, in the war that preceded Mr. Bush's statement,
there were 102 US combat fatalities.
In the latest troubling incident, six British soldiers were killed on
Tuesday while training police in southern Iraq. Eight other British
troops were wounded.
At time of writing, the circumstances of these attacks - the worst
suffered by the British since the end of the war - were still unclear.
Witnesses told reporters that local residents had become incensed as
British forces aggressively searched their homes for guns.
Meanwhile, in recent days much of Baghdad has gone without electricity
or water. The cause of this hardship? Sabotage by die-hard believers of
Mr. Hussein's Baath Party, said L. Paul Bremer, US administrator in
Iraq, in a news conference on Wednesday.
"Almost certainly the saboteurs are rogue Baathist elements," said Mr.
Bremer. "They are trying to hinder the coalition efforts to make life
better for the average Iraqi person."
Many different elements that benefited from Hussein's rule pose a
threat to coalition forces, notes one defense official who studies the
situation. These include former military members, some religious
leaders, terrorists, and outright criminals.
More than half of the attacks against coalition forces have come when
they have gone out looking for such people, notes this source.
"They are sticking their hand in the hornet's next and getting stung,"
he says. "That comes with the territory while you do your job."
Some aspects of recent attacks have been troublesome. The British had
previously thought southern Iraq to be so safe that some patrols were
carried out on bicycles, for instance. The sheer number of attacks, and
their grouping, suggests that there might be some amount of
coordination.
But there seems to be little command-and-control within each attack.
They seem almost random. With the exception of Tuesday's attack on
British troops, each one by itself inflicts little damage.
Those carrying out the attacks are just opportunists who need money,
says Waria Nameek, Washington-based director of a group of formerly
exiled anti-Hussein Iraqis.
The Baath Party provides the money, and the guns. "It's not that
organized," he says.
(c) Copyright 2003 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved.
Click here to email this story to a friend:
http://www.csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/send-story?2003/0626/p01s01-woiq.txt
The Christian Science Monitor-- an independent daily newspaper providing context and clarity on national and international news, peoples and cultures, and social trends. Online at http://www.csmonitor.com
Click here to order a free sample copy of the print edition of the Monitor:
http://www.csmonitor.com/aboutus/sample_issue.html
_________________________________________________________________________
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Sign up for the Monitor News Alert to be notified of special war coverage.
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Byline: Peter Grier and Ann Scott Tyson Staff writer of The Christian
Date: 06/26/2003
(WASHINGTON)Spreading unrest in Iraq is making some in Washington wonder if armed
opposition to US and British forces there is more organized and
pervasive than previously believed.
US defense officials say they have no evidence that they are facing an
underground national Iraqi resistance movement. The recent spate of
fatal attacks on allied troops simply reflects the fact that security
in the country is "a little uneven," in the words of Gen. Richard
Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Coordination of these attacks is "undetermined," he says.
But violence in the previously quiet south, combined with apparent
sabotage of oil equipment, leads other analysts to suspect that small
networks of hardened fighters loyal to Saddam Hussein are beginning to
reconstitute themselves. The next few weeks thus might be a crucial
time in the US-led effort to rid the country of all vestiges of the
Hussein regime.
These small groups "have been doing a halfway decent job of slowing
down the US effort to stabilize the country," says Patrick Garrett, a
military analyst at GlobalSecurity.org.
If nothing else, the pockets of violent resistance to the US and
British presence have been inflicting a steady toll of casualties.
Since President Bush declared on May 1 that major fighting in Iraq was
over, 56 American troops have been killed.
By way of contrast, in the war that preceded Mr. Bush's statement,
there were 102 US combat fatalities.
In the latest troubling incident, six British soldiers were killed on
Tuesday while training police in southern Iraq. Eight other British
troops were wounded.
At time of writing, the circumstances of these attacks - the worst
suffered by the British since the end of the war - were still unclear.
Witnesses told reporters that local residents had become incensed as
British forces aggressively searched their homes for guns.
Meanwhile, in recent days much of Baghdad has gone without electricity
or water. The cause of this hardship? Sabotage by die-hard believers of
Mr. Hussein's Baath Party, said L. Paul Bremer, US administrator in
Iraq, in a news conference on Wednesday.
"Almost certainly the saboteurs are rogue Baathist elements," said Mr.
Bremer. "They are trying to hinder the coalition efforts to make life
better for the average Iraqi person."
Many different elements that benefited from Hussein's rule pose a
threat to coalition forces, notes one defense official who studies the
situation. These include former military members, some religious
leaders, terrorists, and outright criminals.
More than half of the attacks against coalition forces have come when
they have gone out looking for such people, notes this source.
"They are sticking their hand in the hornet's next and getting stung,"
he says. "That comes with the territory while you do your job."
Some aspects of recent attacks have been troublesome. The British had
previously thought southern Iraq to be so safe that some patrols were
carried out on bicycles, for instance. The sheer number of attacks, and
their grouping, suggests that there might be some amount of
coordination.
But there seems to be little command-and-control within each attack.
They seem almost random. With the exception of Tuesday's attack on
British troops, each one by itself inflicts little damage.
Those carrying out the attacks are just opportunists who need money,
says Waria Nameek, Washington-based director of a group of formerly
exiled anti-Hussein Iraqis.
The Baath Party provides the money, and the guns. "It's not that
organized," he says.
(c) Copyright 2003 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved.
Click here to email this story to a friend:
http://www.csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/send-story?2003/0626/p01s01-woiq.txt
The Christian Science Monitor-- an independent daily newspaper providing context and clarity on national and international news, peoples and cultures, and social trends. Online at http://www.csmonitor.com
Click here to order a free sample copy of the print edition of the Monitor:
http://www.csmonitor.com/aboutus/sample_issue.html
_________________________________________________________________________
-- ADVERTISEMENT --
Sign up for the Monitor News Alert to be notified of special war coverage.
http://www.csmonitor.com/email
THE U.S. MILITARY had no immediate comment on the report that a soldier was shot in the head in a Baghdad market, an incident recounted by the shop owner. It was not clear from witness accounts whether his wound was fatal.
The shop owner, who refused to give his name, said the soldier had come into the DVD shop in the Kazimiyah neighborhood in the northwest of the city at around 11 a.m. (4 a.m. ET) and picked up two discs.
“He took out dollars from his pocket and as I looked at the money I heard a bang. He froze and then fell backwards,” the owner told Reuters Television. “Two other soldiers came in, picked him up and took him away.”
Other witnesses corroborated the owner’s version. One said he saw a young man shooting the soldier at close quarters in the lower head.
The shop owner, who refused to give his name, said the soldier had come into the DVD shop in the Kazimiyah neighborhood in the northwest of the city at around 11 a.m. (4 a.m. ET) and picked up two discs.
“He took out dollars from his pocket and as I looked at the money I heard a bang. He froze and then fell backwards,” the owner told Reuters Television. “Two other soldiers came in, picked him up and took him away.”
Other witnesses corroborated the owner’s version. One said he saw a young man shooting the soldier at close quarters in the lower head.
Six pleaded for lives with family pictures (Evening Times)
MIDDLE EAST
Nighttime in the Lawless City of Baghdad
By George Thomas
CBN News Senior Reporter
June 27, 2003
CBN.com - BAGHDAD - Fifty-seven days after President Bush declared an end to the war in Iraq, plenty of danger and hostility lingers. Since then, more than 50 Americans have been killed, either by guerrilla attacks or accidents, and many more have been injured. Increasingly, the day-to-day job of maintaining security in this country is turning into a dangerous mission.
It was a Tuesday evening, and a fierce sandstorm began to blow across Baghdad. Shortly after 9 p.m., a CBN News reporter and two CBN News cameramen joined a group of American soldiers on a night patrol of a heavily armed and dangerous city. The men were part of a platoon, with four Humvee vehicles and 12 soldiers, all from the Army's 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Polk, Louisiana.
As the convoy cruised down streets in a stealthy column, the men of the 2nd ACR had three objectives: search for weapons, arrest criminals and try to help restore law and order to the Iraqi capital. This is not an easy task since there are only 28,000 U.S. troops in Baghdad and roughly five million residents.
The night began with a checkpoint in the southeast quadrant of the city.
CBN News asked one lieutenant what he looked for when he searched a vehicle. "The biggest thing we are looking for is firearms, especially we see a lot of assault rifles, but also pistols, and we are confiscating those because they are a threat to the general populace," said 1st Lt. Ryan O'Reilly.
Iraq is a country awash with weapons, from pistols to rocket-launchers. Iraqis had until June 14th to turn in most of their weapons to U.S. authorities, but few have. That has made soldiers uneasy about policing the streets of Baghdad.
One soldier showed us one of his recent finds. "We have a .38 special, it's like just a regular handgun around here. [We took it] from this guy over here who did not tell us he had it. One bullet is gone, he could have used it to shoot at somebody or shot somebody with, we don't know."
As the night dragged on, more weapons were confiscated.
Lt. O'Reilly said, "I would say there is a certain degree of danger just because many people in Baghdad still own weapons."
And increasingly, some of those weapons are being used in hit-and-run attacks on U.S. service members.
"The toughest part is just the uncertainty. You always have to be on your guard," said Capt. James Kimbrough.
The U.S. troops who are serving today in phase two of the war in Iraq face many dangers, including the ever-present threat from Saddam's Fedayeen forces, remnants of the Republican Guard, and armed criminal gangs.
Intelligence reports indicate that Islamic terrorists from other countries in the region are also joining the resistance against the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq. The result is that American soldiers have been dying daily since President Bush declared the end of major military action.
Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "These losses are a reminder that Iraq remains a dangerous place, but we must continue to stand firm. Our forces' role in establishing and maintaining security is critical to the stability and security of Iraq, and also to our war on terrorism."
In recent days, hundreds of U.S. Army troops supported by tanks and helicopters have struck back, launching several counterinsurgency operations.
U.S. Army spokesman Major Sean Gibson said, "The purpose is to eliminate Ba'athist Party members and seek out terrorist organizations or what we consider bad elements that seek to destabilize the country for their own agendas."
Hundreds have been arrested and plenty of illegal weapons seized, but the stepped-up patrols, searches, and arrests by U.S. forces have aroused widespread resentment, and it is adding to the rising level of discontent across the country.
Ten weeks after the fall of Baghdad, the United States finds itself in the middle of a guerrilla war - welcome to phase two of Operation Iraqi Freedom. But how long will this dangerous phase last, and can the American forces snuff out the remaining resistance without fueling more of it?
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said, "General Franks and his team will root out the remainder of those people to the extent that it can be done. And I think the American people and certainly the President and I recognize that that will take some time and we think it's important that it be done."
If for only one reason, so that the men of the 2nd ACR, and the 140,000 odd U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq along with them, can continue to sow the seeds of democracy and freedom.
Capt. Kimbrough said, "I am here to provide, well to create a stable environment for Iraq so that they can become a better society with more freedoms."
But Kimbrough, and all of those who patrol the front lines, fears that the road to democracy could be long and costly. In the end, the men know that their success or failure in securing this country will be critical. It will determine whether Iraq becomes a showplace in the Arab world or an example of failed U.S. foreign policy.
CBN News asked Captain Kimbrough if there were times when he didn't think it would work out in Iraq. He replied, "No, because as soon as I do that, then I don't see a point in my job. I have to remain positive. I think it will be okay."
At 3 a.m., in a city fraught with danger and instability, the men of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment safely completed another night of perilous patrol.
The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. © 2003
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
Nighttime in the Lawless City of Baghdad
By George Thomas
CBN News Senior Reporter
June 27, 2003
CBN.com - BAGHDAD - Fifty-seven days after President Bush declared an end to the war in Iraq, plenty of danger and hostility lingers. Since then, more than 50 Americans have been killed, either by guerrilla attacks or accidents, and many more have been injured. Increasingly, the day-to-day job of maintaining security in this country is turning into a dangerous mission.
It was a Tuesday evening, and a fierce sandstorm began to blow across Baghdad. Shortly after 9 p.m., a CBN News reporter and two CBN News cameramen joined a group of American soldiers on a night patrol of a heavily armed and dangerous city. The men were part of a platoon, with four Humvee vehicles and 12 soldiers, all from the Army's 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Polk, Louisiana.
As the convoy cruised down streets in a stealthy column, the men of the 2nd ACR had three objectives: search for weapons, arrest criminals and try to help restore law and order to the Iraqi capital. This is not an easy task since there are only 28,000 U.S. troops in Baghdad and roughly five million residents.
The night began with a checkpoint in the southeast quadrant of the city.
CBN News asked one lieutenant what he looked for when he searched a vehicle. "The biggest thing we are looking for is firearms, especially we see a lot of assault rifles, but also pistols, and we are confiscating those because they are a threat to the general populace," said 1st Lt. Ryan O'Reilly.
Iraq is a country awash with weapons, from pistols to rocket-launchers. Iraqis had until June 14th to turn in most of their weapons to U.S. authorities, but few have. That has made soldiers uneasy about policing the streets of Baghdad.
One soldier showed us one of his recent finds. "We have a .38 special, it's like just a regular handgun around here. [We took it] from this guy over here who did not tell us he had it. One bullet is gone, he could have used it to shoot at somebody or shot somebody with, we don't know."
As the night dragged on, more weapons were confiscated.
Lt. O'Reilly said, "I would say there is a certain degree of danger just because many people in Baghdad still own weapons."
And increasingly, some of those weapons are being used in hit-and-run attacks on U.S. service members.
"The toughest part is just the uncertainty. You always have to be on your guard," said Capt. James Kimbrough.
The U.S. troops who are serving today in phase two of the war in Iraq face many dangers, including the ever-present threat from Saddam's Fedayeen forces, remnants of the Republican Guard, and armed criminal gangs.
Intelligence reports indicate that Islamic terrorists from other countries in the region are also joining the resistance against the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq. The result is that American soldiers have been dying daily since President Bush declared the end of major military action.
Gen. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "These losses are a reminder that Iraq remains a dangerous place, but we must continue to stand firm. Our forces' role in establishing and maintaining security is critical to the stability and security of Iraq, and also to our war on terrorism."
In recent days, hundreds of U.S. Army troops supported by tanks and helicopters have struck back, launching several counterinsurgency operations.
U.S. Army spokesman Major Sean Gibson said, "The purpose is to eliminate Ba'athist Party members and seek out terrorist organizations or what we consider bad elements that seek to destabilize the country for their own agendas."
Hundreds have been arrested and plenty of illegal weapons seized, but the stepped-up patrols, searches, and arrests by U.S. forces have aroused widespread resentment, and it is adding to the rising level of discontent across the country.
Ten weeks after the fall of Baghdad, the United States finds itself in the middle of a guerrilla war - welcome to phase two of Operation Iraqi Freedom. But how long will this dangerous phase last, and can the American forces snuff out the remaining resistance without fueling more of it?
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said, "General Franks and his team will root out the remainder of those people to the extent that it can be done. And I think the American people and certainly the President and I recognize that that will take some time and we think it's important that it be done."
If for only one reason, so that the men of the 2nd ACR, and the 140,000 odd U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq along with them, can continue to sow the seeds of democracy and freedom.
Capt. Kimbrough said, "I am here to provide, well to create a stable environment for Iraq so that they can become a better society with more freedoms."
But Kimbrough, and all of those who patrol the front lines, fears that the road to democracy could be long and costly. In the end, the men know that their success or failure in securing this country will be critical. It will determine whether Iraq becomes a showplace in the Arab world or an example of failed U.S. foreign policy.
CBN News asked Captain Kimbrough if there were times when he didn't think it would work out in Iraq. He replied, "No, because as soon as I do that, then I don't see a point in my job. I have to remain positive. I think it will be okay."
At 3 a.m., in a city fraught with danger and instability, the men of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment safely completed another night of perilous patrol.
The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. © 2003
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
War Blog Iraq War Updates
Ex-S.C. Sen. Strom Thurmond dies at 100: "Former U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond died last night at the age of 100. She was in the Senate for 48 of his 100 years."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Broad Medicare bill passes House, Senate: "Medicare prescription drug legislation eased through the Senate and squeaked through the House early Friday, setting up challenging negotiations on a final compromise that President Bush hopes to sign later this summer."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Jury to pick penalty in windshield death: "Jurors will gather this morning to decide the fate of Chante Mallard, who was convicted yesterday of murder after she hit a homeless man on a highway after a night of drinking and drugs and then continued driving with his body lodged in her windshield. She faces the possibility of life in prison."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
FTC launches national do-not-call list: "People pestered by telemarketers can start signing up Friday for a national do-not-call list intended to block most phone sales pitches."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Israeli troops kill gunmen in Hamas raid: "Israeli soldiers hunting a top Hamas bombmaker raided two homes Friday, killing three gunmen and a bystander in a firefight. The Hamas response was muted, suggesting that a deal between armed groups on suspending attacks against Israelis might not unravel because of the raid."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
U.S. soldier dies in ambush in Iraq: "An American soldier was killed in an ambush in southern Iraq, the U.S. military said Friday, after it announced arrests in the possible abduction of two U.S. servicemen."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Charges expected vs. 3 in N.M. wildfires: "Officials said charges were expected against three people in connection with wildfires that forced evacuations near the Rio Grande this week, while investigators in Arizona said fires there were likely "human-caused.""
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Google puts gadgets in browser toolbar: "Online search engine Google introduced several new gadgets in its popular toolbar for Web browsers, hoping to build even greater brand loyalty amid heightened competition."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Stocks appear set to open higher: "U.S. stocks are set to open somewhat higher Friday as investors mull Thursday's late rally."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
LeBron James goes No. 1 in NBA draft: "LeBron James went No. 1, Andres Gliniadakis went No. 58. In between there were trades, one big slippage and a few pronunciation problems. An NBA draft that began with James, the high school phenom from Akron going to the Cleveland Cavaliers, ended with a record 21 international players being chosen in the two rounds."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
NORMAN: WHOPPERS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: "'That Alistair Campbell is a liar on an almost Archerian scale is a point too obvious to labour'..."
In Mirror.co.uk
MOBILE PHONE COSTS FACE CHOP: "Costs of using mobile phone set to be slashed after industry giants lose court case to defend prices..."
In Mirror.co.uk
BB UPDATE: DAY 36 - TICKETS FOR TONIGHT: "Win a pair of tickets for tonight's eviction...Happy housemate Cameron returns to the house..."
In Mirror.co.uk
BB UPDATE: DAY 36 - TICKETS FOR TONIGHT: "Win a pair of tickets for tonight's eviction...Happy housemate Cameron returns to the house..."
In The Mirror
End of line for rail firm: "OPERATOR Connex South Central stripped of lucrative franchise"
In The Sun - News
Lout who shouted out: "MAN who made bogus line call said sorry to British tennis ace last night"
In The Sun - News
MIXED FAREWELL FOR CAM: "African housemates say a muted farewell to straight-laced Scot Cameron..."
In Mirror.co.uk
BIG BROTHER UPDATE: DAY 36: "Tania reveals her morbid fear of moths; Scott thinks about sex every minute and joins Ray for a prank..."
In Mirror.co.uk
HAPLESS PUPPET MASTERS HAVE LOST THE PLOT: "Why is it interesting to swap our contestants with other countries Big Bores?, asks Kevin O'Sullivan..."
In Mirror.co.uk
COST OF QUEEN UP 2p PER PERSON: "Monarchy's expenditure rises £900,000 to £36.2million last year - equivalent to 60p per person..."
In Mirror.co.uk
BARRYMORE'S BACK: "Michael Barrymore is making his British comeback with a one-man stage show in the West End..."
In Mirror.co.uk
PUTIN AND BLAIR PLEDGE TO WORK TOGETHER: "Russian president Vladimir Putin finally buries the hatchet with Tony Blair over the Iraq conflict..."
In Mirror.co.uk
THE BECKS BIBLE: "David Beckham was given 32 pages of instructions on how to act during his Far East tour..."
In Mirror.co.uk
JIM CARREY - WITH GOD ON MY SIDE: "Hit new comedy Bruce Almighty proves Jim Carrey still has a divine gift for making us laugh..."
In Mirror.co.uk
BIG BROTHER UPDATE: DAY 36: "Tania reveals her morbid fear of moths; Scott thinks about sex every minute and joins Ray for a prank..."
In The Mirror
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Turning in the widening gyre
The Financial Times has the scoop of the day, with a report that, "The Pentagon has sent a team of outside policy experts to conduct an independent review of postwar operations in Iraq amid growing criticism that the US failed to prepare adequately for occupation."
But even more important, the FT summarizes an intelligence report from Kroll, a corporate security group, geared toward would-be investors. Out of four possible scenarios, a "stable, soft landing," "complete fragmentation," a "wobbly landing," or an "Iraqi revolt," the last two are considered by far the most likely. With an Iraqi revolt getting an "even" chance.
I would put my money, currently, on the Iraqi revolt. Cross your fingers I am dead wrong.
Nonetheless, the Guardian quotes "US officers" as saying that attacks are increasing. And the Washington Post has a couple of scary quotes:
And, the Guardian says, yesterday Al Jazeera had word from TWO new resistance groups (not one, as I said yesterday). The Popular Resistance for the Liberation of Iraq brings my running list to nine. (I'll start posting the list regularly if it continues to grow.)
Meanwhile, the NYT reports that yesterday was "...a fourth straight day with little or no electricity. Continued acts of sabotage have reduced living conditions to 19th-century levels...[and] Gasoline lines have reappeared as filling stations have had to cut their work hours." Furthermore, according to the Post , "Iraqis are using buckets to draw water from the Tigris River..."
And Middle East On-line reports that the topic of conversation of the day in the cafes of Baghdad is, "Who was worse, Saddam or the Americans?" That apparently keeps people going for quite some time.
"
U.S. Soldier Shot Shopping in Baghdad-Witnesses: "A U.S. soldier was shot in the headwhile buying digital video discs at a shop in Baghdad onFriday, the shop owner and other witnesses said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US soldier killed as search continues for two more believed abducted: "Another US soldier was killed in an ambush south of here overnight, as fears grew that two soldiers had been abducted by Fedayeen guerrillas who intended to use their armoured vehicle for an attack. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Leader of Iraqi Shiite group opposes violence against coalition: "The leader of a key Iraqi Shiite movement said he opposed violence against the governing US-led coalition following a spate of attacks against US and British troops in largely Shiite areas, saying he preferred peaceful means to bring about an end to the occupation. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
How the money is dispersed in Baghdad in IraqWar.info
Three detained in connection with missing US soldiers in IraqWar.info
Ex-S.C. Sen. Strom Thurmond dies at 100: "Former U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond died last night at the age of 100. She was in the Senate for 48 of his 100 years."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Broad Medicare bill passes House, Senate: "Medicare prescription drug legislation eased through the Senate and squeaked through the House early Friday, setting up challenging negotiations on a final compromise that President Bush hopes to sign later this summer."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Jury to pick penalty in windshield death: "Jurors will gather this morning to decide the fate of Chante Mallard, who was convicted yesterday of murder after she hit a homeless man on a highway after a night of drinking and drugs and then continued driving with his body lodged in her windshield. She faces the possibility of life in prison."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
FTC launches national do-not-call list: "People pestered by telemarketers can start signing up Friday for a national do-not-call list intended to block most phone sales pitches."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Israeli troops kill gunmen in Hamas raid: "Israeli soldiers hunting a top Hamas bombmaker raided two homes Friday, killing three gunmen and a bystander in a firefight. The Hamas response was muted, suggesting that a deal between armed groups on suspending attacks against Israelis might not unravel because of the raid."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
U.S. soldier dies in ambush in Iraq: "An American soldier was killed in an ambush in southern Iraq, the U.S. military said Friday, after it announced arrests in the possible abduction of two U.S. servicemen."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Charges expected vs. 3 in N.M. wildfires: "Officials said charges were expected against three people in connection with wildfires that forced evacuations near the Rio Grande this week, while investigators in Arizona said fires there were likely "human-caused.""
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Google puts gadgets in browser toolbar: "Online search engine Google introduced several new gadgets in its popular toolbar for Web browsers, hoping to build even greater brand loyalty amid heightened competition."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Stocks appear set to open higher: "U.S. stocks are set to open somewhat higher Friday as investors mull Thursday's late rally."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
LeBron James goes No. 1 in NBA draft: "LeBron James went No. 1, Andres Gliniadakis went No. 58. In between there were trades, one big slippage and a few pronunciation problems. An NBA draft that began with James, the high school phenom from Akron going to the Cleveland Cavaliers, ended with a record 21 international players being chosen in the two rounds."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
NORMAN: WHOPPERS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: "'That Alistair Campbell is a liar on an almost Archerian scale is a point too obvious to labour'..."
In Mirror.co.uk
MOBILE PHONE COSTS FACE CHOP: "Costs of using mobile phone set to be slashed after industry giants lose court case to defend prices..."
In Mirror.co.uk
BB UPDATE: DAY 36 - TICKETS FOR TONIGHT: "Win a pair of tickets for tonight's eviction...Happy housemate Cameron returns to the house..."
In Mirror.co.uk
BB UPDATE: DAY 36 - TICKETS FOR TONIGHT: "Win a pair of tickets for tonight's eviction...Happy housemate Cameron returns to the house..."
In The Mirror
End of line for rail firm: "OPERATOR Connex South Central stripped of lucrative franchise"
In The Sun - News
Lout who shouted out: "MAN who made bogus line call said sorry to British tennis ace last night"
In The Sun - News
MIXED FAREWELL FOR CAM: "African housemates say a muted farewell to straight-laced Scot Cameron..."
In Mirror.co.uk
BIG BROTHER UPDATE: DAY 36: "Tania reveals her morbid fear of moths; Scott thinks about sex every minute and joins Ray for a prank..."
In Mirror.co.uk
HAPLESS PUPPET MASTERS HAVE LOST THE PLOT: "Why is it interesting to swap our contestants with other countries Big Bores?, asks Kevin O'Sullivan..."
In Mirror.co.uk
COST OF QUEEN UP 2p PER PERSON: "Monarchy's expenditure rises £900,000 to £36.2million last year - equivalent to 60p per person..."
In Mirror.co.uk
BARRYMORE'S BACK: "Michael Barrymore is making his British comeback with a one-man stage show in the West End..."
In Mirror.co.uk
PUTIN AND BLAIR PLEDGE TO WORK TOGETHER: "Russian president Vladimir Putin finally buries the hatchet with Tony Blair over the Iraq conflict..."
In Mirror.co.uk
THE BECKS BIBLE: "David Beckham was given 32 pages of instructions on how to act during his Far East tour..."
In Mirror.co.uk
JIM CARREY - WITH GOD ON MY SIDE: "Hit new comedy Bruce Almighty proves Jim Carrey still has a divine gift for making us laugh..."
In Mirror.co.uk
BIG BROTHER UPDATE: DAY 36: "Tania reveals her morbid fear of moths; Scott thinks about sex every minute and joins Ray for a prank..."
In The Mirror
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Turning in the widening gyre
The Financial Times has the scoop of the day, with a report that, "The Pentagon has sent a team of outside policy experts to conduct an independent review of postwar operations in Iraq amid growing criticism that the US failed to prepare adequately for occupation."
But even more important, the FT summarizes an intelligence report from Kroll, a corporate security group, geared toward would-be investors. Out of four possible scenarios, a "stable, soft landing," "complete fragmentation," a "wobbly landing," or an "Iraqi revolt," the last two are considered by far the most likely. With an Iraqi revolt getting an "even" chance.
I would put my money, currently, on the Iraqi revolt. Cross your fingers I am dead wrong.
Nonetheless, the Guardian quotes "US officers" as saying that attacks are increasing. And the Washington Post has a couple of scary quotes:
"I thought we were holding our own until this week, and now I'm not sure," said retired Air Force Col. Richard M. Atchison... "If we don't get this operation moving soon, the opposition will continue to grow, and we will have a much larger problem."
Jeffrey White, a former Defense Intelligence Agency expert on Arab military issues, said, "There are a lot of worrisome aspects about the current situation. Resistance is spreading geographically, resistance groups seem to be proliferating in Sunni areas, resistance elements appear to be tactically adaptive, resistance elements appear to be drawn from multiple elements of Sunni society, our operations inevitably create animosity by inflicting civilian casualties, disrupting lives, humiliating people and damaging property."
And, the Guardian says, yesterday Al Jazeera had word from TWO new resistance groups (not one, as I said yesterday). The Popular Resistance for the Liberation of Iraq brings my running list to nine. (I'll start posting the list regularly if it continues to grow.)
Meanwhile, the NYT reports that yesterday was "...a fourth straight day with little or no electricity. Continued acts of sabotage have reduced living conditions to 19th-century levels...[and] Gasoline lines have reappeared as filling stations have had to cut their work hours." Furthermore, according to the Post , "Iraqis are using buckets to draw water from the Tigris River..."
And Middle East On-line reports that the topic of conversation of the day in the cafes of Baghdad is, "Who was worse, Saddam or the Americans?" That apparently keeps people going for quite some time.
"
U.S. Soldier Shot Shopping in Baghdad-Witnesses: "A U.S. soldier was shot in the headwhile buying digital video discs at a shop in Baghdad onFriday, the shop owner and other witnesses said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US soldier killed as search continues for two more believed abducted: "Another US soldier was killed in an ambush south of here overnight, as fears grew that two soldiers had been abducted by Fedayeen guerrillas who intended to use their armoured vehicle for an attack. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Leader of Iraqi Shiite group opposes violence against coalition: "The leader of a key Iraqi Shiite movement said he opposed violence against the governing US-led coalition following a spate of attacks against US and British troops in largely Shiite areas, saying he preferred peaceful means to bring about an end to the occupation. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
How the money is dispersed in Baghdad in IraqWar.info
Three detained in connection with missing US soldiers in IraqWar.info
War Blog Iraq War Updates
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Turning in the widening gyre
The Financial Times has the scoop of the day, with a report that, "The Pentagon has sent a team of outside policy experts to conduct an independent review of postwar operations in Iraq amid growing criticism that the US failed to prepare adequately for occupation."
But even more important, the FT summarizes an intelligence report from Kroll, a corporate security group, geared toward would-be investors. Out of four possible scenarios, a "stable, soft landing," "complete fragmentation," a "wobbly landing," or an "Iraqi revolt," the last two are considered by far the most likely. With an Iraqi revolt getting an "even" chance.
I would put my money, currently, on the Iraqi revolt. Cross your fingers I am dead wrong.
Nonetheless, the Guardian quotes "US officers" as saying that attacks are increasing. And the Washington Post has a couple of scary quotes:
And, the Guardian says, yesterday Al Jazeera had word from TWO new resistance groups (not one, as I said yesterday). The Popular Resistance for the Liberation of Iraq brings my running list to nine. (I'll start posting the list regularly if it continues to grow.)
Meanwhile, the NYT reports that yesterday was "...a fourth straight day with little or no electricity. Continued acts of sabotage have reduced living conditions to 19th-century levels...[and] Gasoline lines have reappeared as filling stations have had to cut their work hours." Furthermore, according to the Post , "Iraqis are using buckets to draw water from the Tigris River..."
And Middle East On-line reports that the topic of conversation of the day in the cafes of Baghdad is, "Who was worse, Saddam or the Americans?" That apparently keeps people going for quite some time.
"
U.S. Soldier Shot Shopping in Baghdad-Witnesses: "A U.S. soldier was shot in the headwhile buying digital video discs at a shop in Baghdad onFriday, the shop owner and other witnesses said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US soldier killed as search continues for two more believed abducted: "Another US soldier was killed in an ambush south of here overnight, as fears grew that two soldiers had been abducted by Fedayeen guerrillas who intended to use their armoured vehicle for an attack. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Leader of Iraqi Shiite group opposes violence against coalition: "The leader of a key Iraqi Shiite movement said he opposed violence against the governing US-led coalition following a spate of attacks against US and British troops in largely Shiite areas, saying he preferred peaceful means to bring about an end to the occupation. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
How the money is dispersed in Baghdad in IraqWar.info
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Turning in the widening gyre
The Financial Times has the scoop of the day, with a report that, "The Pentagon has sent a team of outside policy experts to conduct an independent review of postwar operations in Iraq amid growing criticism that the US failed to prepare adequately for occupation."
But even more important, the FT summarizes an intelligence report from Kroll, a corporate security group, geared toward would-be investors. Out of four possible scenarios, a "stable, soft landing," "complete fragmentation," a "wobbly landing," or an "Iraqi revolt," the last two are considered by far the most likely. With an Iraqi revolt getting an "even" chance.
I would put my money, currently, on the Iraqi revolt. Cross your fingers I am dead wrong.
Nonetheless, the Guardian quotes "US officers" as saying that attacks are increasing. And the Washington Post has a couple of scary quotes:
"I thought we were holding our own until this week, and now I'm not sure," said retired Air Force Col. Richard M. Atchison... "If we don't get this operation moving soon, the opposition will continue to grow, and we will have a much larger problem."
Jeffrey White, a former Defense Intelligence Agency expert on Arab military issues, said, "There are a lot of worrisome aspects about the current situation. Resistance is spreading geographically, resistance groups seem to be proliferating in Sunni areas, resistance elements appear to be tactically adaptive, resistance elements appear to be drawn from multiple elements of Sunni society, our operations inevitably create animosity by inflicting civilian casualties, disrupting lives, humiliating people and damaging property."
And, the Guardian says, yesterday Al Jazeera had word from TWO new resistance groups (not one, as I said yesterday). The Popular Resistance for the Liberation of Iraq brings my running list to nine. (I'll start posting the list regularly if it continues to grow.)
Meanwhile, the NYT reports that yesterday was "...a fourth straight day with little or no electricity. Continued acts of sabotage have reduced living conditions to 19th-century levels...[and] Gasoline lines have reappeared as filling stations have had to cut their work hours." Furthermore, according to the Post , "Iraqis are using buckets to draw water from the Tigris River..."
And Middle East On-line reports that the topic of conversation of the day in the cafes of Baghdad is, "Who was worse, Saddam or the Americans?" That apparently keeps people going for quite some time.
"
U.S. Soldier Shot Shopping in Baghdad-Witnesses: "A U.S. soldier was shot in the headwhile buying digital video discs at a shop in Baghdad onFriday, the shop owner and other witnesses said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US soldier killed as search continues for two more believed abducted: "Another US soldier was killed in an ambush south of here overnight, as fears grew that two soldiers had been abducted by Fedayeen guerrillas who intended to use their armoured vehicle for an attack. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Leader of Iraqi Shiite group opposes violence against coalition: "The leader of a key Iraqi Shiite movement said he opposed violence against the governing US-led coalition following a spate of attacks against US and British troops in largely Shiite areas, saying he preferred peaceful means to bring about an end to the occupation. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
How the money is dispersed in Baghdad in IraqWar.info
U.S. Troops Comb Iraq for Missing Comrades
Yahoo! News: War with Iraq: "U.S. troops in Iraq searched on Fridayfor missing American comrades and hunted for clues to thekilling of other soldiers in the face of growing resistance tothree months of occupation. (Reuters)"
Yahoo! News: War with Iraq: "U.S. troops in Iraq searched on Fridayfor missing American comrades and hunted for clues to thekilling of other soldiers in the face of growing resistance tothree months of occupation. (Reuters)"
Family: Soldier Thought He Wasted Time
From: spliffslips
--------------------
Family: Soldier Thought He Wasted Time
--------------------
By JANE WARDELL
Associated Press Writer
June 27, 2003, 2:03 AM EDT
LONDON -- Lance Cpl. Thomas Keys thought he was wasting his time trying to train Iraqis to police themselves, and couldn't wait to come home.
But Keys, 20, due home from Iraq in two weeks after four months, never made it back to Britain. He was the youngest of six Royal Military Police killed Tuesday in the southern town of Majar al-Kabir, reportedly by an angry mob who attacked a police station.
"He was trying to train the Iraqis to police themselves, but he felt he was wasting his time. They were always fighting among themselves," Sally Keys said Thursday of her son, who won a bravery medal as a paratrooper in Sierra Leone when he was 18.
The deaths of the six "Red Caps" -- so called for the color of their berets -- has stunned their tightly knit unit, the 156 Provost Company.
"Everyone thought the war was over," said the Rev. Nick Cook, senior chaplain at the unit's Colchester garrison base in southern England, where the regiment's blue and red flag was flown at half mast and flowers adorned the gates.
Maj. Bryn Parry-Jones, the commanding officer of the six slain men, said the soldiers, ranging in age from 20 to 41, "had between them a wealth of operational experience and distinguished service."
Keys, a former paratrooper who would have celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday, inspired his younger brother Richard, 18, to join the army.
In Chessington, southern England, 81-year-old Teresa Hamilton-Jewell grieved privately at home for her son, Sgt. Simon Hamilton-Jewell, at 41 the oldest and most senior man to die.
A martial arts expert, Hamilton-Jewell joined the army in 1988 and had served in Germany, Northern Ireland, Sarajevo and Sudan.
"His mother always had a fear, like every mother does when their son or daughter is fighting in the war, that one day something could happen, and sadly in this case it has," neighbor Barbara Bolkus said.
The parents of Cpl. Simon Miller, 21, from Washington, Tyne and Wear in northern England, asked to be left alone to grieve. Miller was remembered by friends from his high school days as a popular student with a passion for playing soccer.
One friend, Paul Latimer, 21, said Miller, a former mechanic who joined the army in 2000, had recently gotten engaged.
"I can't believe he has gone. It only seems two minutes since we were at school without a care in the world," Latimer said.
Iraq was the first operational tour for Lt. Cpl. Ben Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, northern England. He joined the army in 2001.
"The red beret was all he ever wanted. It was his life, so he gave his life doing the job he loved most," said John Hyde, adding that his son worked hard to achieve his goal of becoming a military policeman. "He was also a loving son who will be sorely missed."
Cpl. Paul Long, 24, a radio operator, was also on his first tour when he was killed. He leaves a wife, Anna, and a young son.
Cpl. Russell Aston, who celebrated his 30th birthday while in Iraq, told his wife, Anna, in an emotional phone call on Saturday how much he was looking forward to seeing her and their 17-month-old daughter Paygan. It was the last time they spoke.
"He was such a kind and special person with a smashing sense of humor, he could get on with anyone he met," Anna Aston said in a statement released jointly with Aston's parents Glenice and Mike. "When he walked into a room he filled it with his height and presence."
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-britain-iraq-victims,0,962847.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
--------------------
Family: Soldier Thought He Wasted Time
--------------------
By JANE WARDELL
Associated Press Writer
June 27, 2003, 2:03 AM EDT
LONDON -- Lance Cpl. Thomas Keys thought he was wasting his time trying to train Iraqis to police themselves, and couldn't wait to come home.
But Keys, 20, due home from Iraq in two weeks after four months, never made it back to Britain. He was the youngest of six Royal Military Police killed Tuesday in the southern town of Majar al-Kabir, reportedly by an angry mob who attacked a police station.
"He was trying to train the Iraqis to police themselves, but he felt he was wasting his time. They were always fighting among themselves," Sally Keys said Thursday of her son, who won a bravery medal as a paratrooper in Sierra Leone when he was 18.
The deaths of the six "Red Caps" -- so called for the color of their berets -- has stunned their tightly knit unit, the 156 Provost Company.
"Everyone thought the war was over," said the Rev. Nick Cook, senior chaplain at the unit's Colchester garrison base in southern England, where the regiment's blue and red flag was flown at half mast and flowers adorned the gates.
Maj. Bryn Parry-Jones, the commanding officer of the six slain men, said the soldiers, ranging in age from 20 to 41, "had between them a wealth of operational experience and distinguished service."
Keys, a former paratrooper who would have celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday, inspired his younger brother Richard, 18, to join the army.
In Chessington, southern England, 81-year-old Teresa Hamilton-Jewell grieved privately at home for her son, Sgt. Simon Hamilton-Jewell, at 41 the oldest and most senior man to die.
A martial arts expert, Hamilton-Jewell joined the army in 1988 and had served in Germany, Northern Ireland, Sarajevo and Sudan.
"His mother always had a fear, like every mother does when their son or daughter is fighting in the war, that one day something could happen, and sadly in this case it has," neighbor Barbara Bolkus said.
The parents of Cpl. Simon Miller, 21, from Washington, Tyne and Wear in northern England, asked to be left alone to grieve. Miller was remembered by friends from his high school days as a popular student with a passion for playing soccer.
One friend, Paul Latimer, 21, said Miller, a former mechanic who joined the army in 2000, had recently gotten engaged.
"I can't believe he has gone. It only seems two minutes since we were at school without a care in the world," Latimer said.
Iraq was the first operational tour for Lt. Cpl. Ben Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, northern England. He joined the army in 2001.
"The red beret was all he ever wanted. It was his life, so he gave his life doing the job he loved most," said John Hyde, adding that his son worked hard to achieve his goal of becoming a military policeman. "He was also a loving son who will be sorely missed."
Cpl. Paul Long, 24, a radio operator, was also on his first tour when he was killed. He leaves a wife, Anna, and a young son.
Cpl. Russell Aston, who celebrated his 30th birthday while in Iraq, told his wife, Anna, in an emotional phone call on Saturday how much he was looking forward to seeing her and their 17-month-old daughter Paygan. It was the last time they spoke.
"He was such a kind and special person with a smashing sense of humor, he could get on with anyone he met," Anna Aston said in a statement released jointly with Aston's parents Glenice and Mike. "When he walked into a room he filled it with his height and presence."
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-britain-iraq-victims,0,962847.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
Yahoo! News Story - Mideast Photos - AFP
Personal message:
Mideast Photos - AFP
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/030627/241/4im1h.html
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A washingtonpost.com article from: spliffslips@aol.com
You have been sent this message from spliffslips@aol.com as a courtesy of washingtonpost.com
Land of No Return
By Sharon Waxman
KIRKUK, Iraq
Even when you're 13, living in a soccer stadium has its down side.
The press box, your home for over a month, is at the top of the stadium, so every trek to the kiosk that sells gum (for you) and cigarettes (for your dad) is a five-story hike down steep, broken stairs. A trip to the outhouse -- a concrete structure over a hole in the ground -- is another walk down those same stairs.
But the worst part is the water. With only one hose available for all 700 people living in the stadium, there's always a wait. And even with the help of the men, it is a chore to haul the jerrycans up the narrow stairs.
Plus, the water's not the best. The people here say a baby died recently of diarrhea.
But Medea Nazim manages to stay cheery, since that's her nature. "I go to school," she says in enthusiastic English, exhausting her vocabulary. And there are always plenty of kids around to play with. Medea is tiny for her age, and wears a denim shirt and green sweat pants. Dimples make charming creases in her brown skin when she smiles, which is often, and her brown eyes dance.
But most of the other people in Shorja Stadium are not nearly as upbeat as Medea. About 150 families have sought shelter in this bullet-pocked, looted building since the end of the war, all of them Kurds who were once expelled from this northern city during various ethnic cleansing campaigns and purges by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
They returned to their traditional homes to find them occupied by Arab families or gone completely -- bulldozed into piles of rubble by the former government. Some were chased from their homes in the southern Arab communities where they had resettled; others couldn't pay the rent in the economic privation of postwar Iraq.
Now all they do is wait. "We have gone to all the officials and no one is responding," says Sabah Mohamed Ibrahim, 40, the unofficial spokesman for the families living along the field, up in the press box, in the concrete hallways where they have hung sheets and patchwork rice sacks as separators. "This place is for sports, not for living. Twenty people here need operations." He kicks at a spigot near the playing field, where a rooster struts. Broken glass is everywhere. "A humanitarian organization brought us two tanks of water. They promised to turn it on. There's been nothing until now."
The families living in Shorja Stadium are just one example of a problem affecting thousands of families in northern Iraq. All over the major cities of Kirkuk and Mosul, displaced Arab and Kurdish families camp in abandoned buildings, waiting for someone to assign them some land, or to dislodge the people living in what were once their homes.
In a bombed-out Mosul military base, dozens of Arab families expelled by Kurds wither in the heat. At a prison north of Baghdad, dozens of displaced Arab families from the north have come to find shelter. And everywhere a visitor goes in Kirkuk, angry Kurds wave documents in your face, the deeds to the homes they once legally owned and were taken by Hussein.
"We are the original owners. We are not guilty, we did not do anything," said Sabr Ahmed Said, a 45-year-old engineer who is organizing 200 families to demand the restitution of a mostly empty lot that once held their homes. Chickens peck at the ground where he stands. He says it was once the room where he was married.
In 1988, Hussein expelled the Kurds here and gave this land to senior army officers, who now rent it to local merchants. "If these lands are not distributed to the original owners, there will be problems, because there are hundreds, thousands of such families," says the engineer.
Said appears to be stating the obvious, but no one, it seems, is willing to address the matter. The Americans are reluctant to evict people and want to wait until a local government can consider competing claims. The United Nations says that internally displaced persons don't fall under its mandate. Relief organizations say they cannot do more without cash, and permission from the Americans.
In the meantime, April becomes May becomes June, days turn to weeks turn to months of blazing summer heat. Conditions worsen in ersatz shelters like the stadium, teetering on the edge of a humanitarian crisis.
Medea finishes school this week. Then, like the adults, she'll have nothing to do.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. John Evans, a cop from New York on reserve duty, looks dismayed when he learns of the reported death of another child at Shorja Stadium. It would be the third in two months. (A humanitarian organization investigated the death and found recent graves, but said none of them was child-size.)
"We've been trying to get groups in there to improve conditions," he says. "We have had health teams go in there. I'm not saying they don't need help, but we've not totally ignored them either."
Evans is the man in charge at the Civilian Military Operations Center in Kirkuk, a small building beside the gutted and bombed former headquarters of Iraqi intelligence, where the U.S. occupation deals with humanitarian problems. Initially, the Army wanted to move the Kurdish families from the stadium, he says. But then they thought again: If they placed the families somewhere comfortable, that might attract dozens of new families. And then what?
Instead, the authorities made a tactical decision to leave the families where they were and not to improve conditions at the stadium too much for fear of attracting still more refugees. "If you build something, it becomes a permanent structure, and that becomes another problem," Evans says.
He also acknowledges that there has also been no progress on the stickier issue of land redistribution. The complexities of sorting out decades of ethnic repression are something the U.S. authorities here have decided is beyond their capacity.
Whoever sorts it out has a monumental task. Throughout his rule, Hussein regularly emptied villages of Kurds in an attempt to create a more Arab population in the north, where a strong Kurdish separatist movement threatened his rule.
Hussein focused many of these efforts in oil-rich Kirkuk, which he wanted firmly under Arab control. Often, Kurdish families were given "permission" to take their belongings to another city and warned not to return to their homes on pain of arrest or death. Their homes and land were given to impoverished Arabs, who were apparently happy to have them.
By 1988, it is estimated that more than half the towns and villages in Kurdish areas of Iraq had been razed and their populations deported to southern Iraq. It was at that time that Hussein gassed the Kurdish village of Halabja to deter residents from collaborating with Iranian forces during the Iran-Iraq war.
Every time the Kurds rebelled, as they did in 1991 after the first Gulf War, or in 1998, Hussein responded with a vengeance, rounding up Kurdish men (many are still missing; the bodies of some have been found in mass graves) and using the collective punishment of evicting and destroying entire neighborhoods.
Arab families have been living in some of these homes for a decade or more. If they are evicted, they, too, need somewhere to go. Evans waves his hands at boxes filled with file folders of claims made by families to recoup houses occupied by others: 1,300 in Kirkuk so far.
"Our instructions are to take all claims, record them, keep a copy [of the deed] and give it to a deputy mayor who is charged with resettlement," he says. As of yet, there is no such deputy mayor. "Down the road it will be taken over by a civil organization to mediate, or to the judicial system."
The United Nations has decades of experience dealing with displaced persons. But "on property issues, the U.N. was not asked and is not mandated to intervene," says Malak Allaouni, the local U.N. representative for humanitarian aid. "We do monitor the situation."
Allaouni is sitting in a house that is being painted and restored for the opening of a U.N. office in Kirkuk. Like humanitarian groups, the U.N. was slow to move in here because of security risks. He agrees with the U.S. approach of limiting aid to the stadium families.
"Most of these people didn't own property. They are vulnerable people, destitute," he says. Encouraging others like them to return would be bad. "The situation does not appear suitable to have people return in a weakened economic situation. If you have too large assistance, then you aggravate the problem."
As for the mounting humanitarian problem, "the sanitation was not satisfactory" at Shorja, he agrees. "I don't know why [assistance] hasn't taken place."
Humanitarian organizations say they are trying to respond, but if the Americans will not attack the main problem -- land distribution -- then nothing they do will matter much.
"It's an unbelievable mess," says a representative for one such group, who visited the stadium recently. He asked to not be named because his group is vying for U.S.-paid contracts to help displaced people.
"The property issue, resettlement, none of it is being addressed by the OCPA [Office of Coalition Provisional Authority]. I've told them, 'You're burning daylight, get moving,' but nothing happens. They told me 'days not weeks' to start addressing wide-scale problems. That was two weeks ago," he says.
Even if the Americans don't want to evict anyone, he says, there is a lot of uninhabited land that could be quickly divvied up. Many Shorja families, for example, once lived on a several-mile-square lot about a mile from the stadium. Hussein had cleared the land to build apartment buildings for Arab families, but construction never began.
"There's low-hanging fruit here," he says.
In response, Evans says that a lead humanitarian organization will be designated soon to take charge of aid to the displaced persons, and local officials should be ensconced in office soon to look at the land issue.
"Hopefully, we can get the government up and running as soon as possible," he says. "We want to step back. We're trying to back away as quickly as possible."
The mirror image of Shorja Stadium can be found at an abandoned military base in Mosul. The remnants of fierce fighting are everywhere. Burned hulks of cars are strewn along the roadways while shards of twisted metal poke from the empty windows of bombed buildings. An anti-mine brigade is making its way through the complex, marking each cleared building with red paint.
Several hundred yards from their work, about 15 members of the Sabah family cling to civilization. Several adults and nine children moved into this army barracks recently after Kurdish fighters, pesh merga, evicted them from their home in al-Huriya, a village on the outskirts of Kirkuk.
"The pesh merga kicked us out by force. They brought guns, rifles, mortars, tanks," said Aida Sabah, 60. "We had a car. We took our mattresses, our blankets. About 150 families left. Those who didn't have a car walked."
Originally shepherds, the Sabah family had been living in various Kurdish villages since the 1980s, when they were given land by Hussein. In 1995, the Kurds returned to evict them, and in 2000 they were given other Kurdish land in al-Huriya, when Hussein expelled those residents and blew up their houses. They said the government told them to take the land.
Conditions at the army base are even more dire than at Shorja. The Sabah family has no water, no electricity and, unlike at Shorja, no humanitarian groups are helping them.
Barely a mile away, 10 more families from al-Huriya live in small, bare concrete rooms on another part of the base. These families have been here for six weeks, having fled their homes when Kurdish families warned them that the pesh merga were coming to kill them. Their situation worsens by the week. They fetch water by car from a broken spigot several blocks away. Their government rations are running out.
These Arab families say they knew that taking the Kurdish land in al-Huriya was unjust. "The government was trying to make al-Huriya into an Arabic village," says Ahmed Ali, 30. "We knew it was wrong, and it was temporary. But the government told us to go."
They do not seek to return there, they say. They just need land somewhere, and a bit of money to build a house. "We are poor people. We just need any land, even 100 meters, and we will build our houses. We won't make any trouble," said Ajem Jasem, 78.
A couple of weeks ago, the men here went back to al-Huriya to ask the Kurds for the wheat and barley they had planted in January. It is harvest time, the moment they wait for all year. The Kurds made them leave empty-handed.
The Sabah family made the same request, but they also turned to the Americans for help. "Our men went back there and talked to the Kurds. They told us: 'You have no business here.' We went to the Americans and they said, 'We will give you your rights back,' " says Aida Sabah. She doesn't know if the Americans will do anything. "We are waiting here," she says, "until God decides."
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Land of No Return
By Sharon Waxman
KIRKUK, Iraq
Even when you're 13, living in a soccer stadium has its down side.
The press box, your home for over a month, is at the top of the stadium, so every trek to the kiosk that sells gum (for you) and cigarettes (for your dad) is a five-story hike down steep, broken stairs. A trip to the outhouse -- a concrete structure over a hole in the ground -- is another walk down those same stairs.
But the worst part is the water. With only one hose available for all 700 people living in the stadium, there's always a wait. And even with the help of the men, it is a chore to haul the jerrycans up the narrow stairs.
Plus, the water's not the best. The people here say a baby died recently of diarrhea.
But Medea Nazim manages to stay cheery, since that's her nature. "I go to school," she says in enthusiastic English, exhausting her vocabulary. And there are always plenty of kids around to play with. Medea is tiny for her age, and wears a denim shirt and green sweat pants. Dimples make charming creases in her brown skin when she smiles, which is often, and her brown eyes dance.
But most of the other people in Shorja Stadium are not nearly as upbeat as Medea. About 150 families have sought shelter in this bullet-pocked, looted building since the end of the war, all of them Kurds who were once expelled from this northern city during various ethnic cleansing campaigns and purges by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
They returned to their traditional homes to find them occupied by Arab families or gone completely -- bulldozed into piles of rubble by the former government. Some were chased from their homes in the southern Arab communities where they had resettled; others couldn't pay the rent in the economic privation of postwar Iraq.
Now all they do is wait. "We have gone to all the officials and no one is responding," says Sabah Mohamed Ibrahim, 40, the unofficial spokesman for the families living along the field, up in the press box, in the concrete hallways where they have hung sheets and patchwork rice sacks as separators. "This place is for sports, not for living. Twenty people here need operations." He kicks at a spigot near the playing field, where a rooster struts. Broken glass is everywhere. "A humanitarian organization brought us two tanks of water. They promised to turn it on. There's been nothing until now."
The families living in Shorja Stadium are just one example of a problem affecting thousands of families in northern Iraq. All over the major cities of Kirkuk and Mosul, displaced Arab and Kurdish families camp in abandoned buildings, waiting for someone to assign them some land, or to dislodge the people living in what were once their homes.
In a bombed-out Mosul military base, dozens of Arab families expelled by Kurds wither in the heat. At a prison north of Baghdad, dozens of displaced Arab families from the north have come to find shelter. And everywhere a visitor goes in Kirkuk, angry Kurds wave documents in your face, the deeds to the homes they once legally owned and were taken by Hussein.
"We are the original owners. We are not guilty, we did not do anything," said Sabr Ahmed Said, a 45-year-old engineer who is organizing 200 families to demand the restitution of a mostly empty lot that once held their homes. Chickens peck at the ground where he stands. He says it was once the room where he was married.
In 1988, Hussein expelled the Kurds here and gave this land to senior army officers, who now rent it to local merchants. "If these lands are not distributed to the original owners, there will be problems, because there are hundreds, thousands of such families," says the engineer.
Said appears to be stating the obvious, but no one, it seems, is willing to address the matter. The Americans are reluctant to evict people and want to wait until a local government can consider competing claims. The United Nations says that internally displaced persons don't fall under its mandate. Relief organizations say they cannot do more without cash, and permission from the Americans.
In the meantime, April becomes May becomes June, days turn to weeks turn to months of blazing summer heat. Conditions worsen in ersatz shelters like the stadium, teetering on the edge of a humanitarian crisis.
Medea finishes school this week. Then, like the adults, she'll have nothing to do.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. John Evans, a cop from New York on reserve duty, looks dismayed when he learns of the reported death of another child at Shorja Stadium. It would be the third in two months. (A humanitarian organization investigated the death and found recent graves, but said none of them was child-size.)
"We've been trying to get groups in there to improve conditions," he says. "We have had health teams go in there. I'm not saying they don't need help, but we've not totally ignored them either."
Evans is the man in charge at the Civilian Military Operations Center in Kirkuk, a small building beside the gutted and bombed former headquarters of Iraqi intelligence, where the U.S. occupation deals with humanitarian problems. Initially, the Army wanted to move the Kurdish families from the stadium, he says. But then they thought again: If they placed the families somewhere comfortable, that might attract dozens of new families. And then what?
Instead, the authorities made a tactical decision to leave the families where they were and not to improve conditions at the stadium too much for fear of attracting still more refugees. "If you build something, it becomes a permanent structure, and that becomes another problem," Evans says.
He also acknowledges that there has also been no progress on the stickier issue of land redistribution. The complexities of sorting out decades of ethnic repression are something the U.S. authorities here have decided is beyond their capacity.
Whoever sorts it out has a monumental task. Throughout his rule, Hussein regularly emptied villages of Kurds in an attempt to create a more Arab population in the north, where a strong Kurdish separatist movement threatened his rule.
Hussein focused many of these efforts in oil-rich Kirkuk, which he wanted firmly under Arab control. Often, Kurdish families were given "permission" to take their belongings to another city and warned not to return to their homes on pain of arrest or death. Their homes and land were given to impoverished Arabs, who were apparently happy to have them.
By 1988, it is estimated that more than half the towns and villages in Kurdish areas of Iraq had been razed and their populations deported to southern Iraq. It was at that time that Hussein gassed the Kurdish village of Halabja to deter residents from collaborating with Iranian forces during the Iran-Iraq war.
Every time the Kurds rebelled, as they did in 1991 after the first Gulf War, or in 1998, Hussein responded with a vengeance, rounding up Kurdish men (many are still missing; the bodies of some have been found in mass graves) and using the collective punishment of evicting and destroying entire neighborhoods.
Arab families have been living in some of these homes for a decade or more. If they are evicted, they, too, need somewhere to go. Evans waves his hands at boxes filled with file folders of claims made by families to recoup houses occupied by others: 1,300 in Kirkuk so far.
"Our instructions are to take all claims, record them, keep a copy [of the deed] and give it to a deputy mayor who is charged with resettlement," he says. As of yet, there is no such deputy mayor. "Down the road it will be taken over by a civil organization to mediate, or to the judicial system."
The United Nations has decades of experience dealing with displaced persons. But "on property issues, the U.N. was not asked and is not mandated to intervene," says Malak Allaouni, the local U.N. representative for humanitarian aid. "We do monitor the situation."
Allaouni is sitting in a house that is being painted and restored for the opening of a U.N. office in Kirkuk. Like humanitarian groups, the U.N. was slow to move in here because of security risks. He agrees with the U.S. approach of limiting aid to the stadium families.
"Most of these people didn't own property. They are vulnerable people, destitute," he says. Encouraging others like them to return would be bad. "The situation does not appear suitable to have people return in a weakened economic situation. If you have too large assistance, then you aggravate the problem."
As for the mounting humanitarian problem, "the sanitation was not satisfactory" at Shorja, he agrees. "I don't know why [assistance] hasn't taken place."
Humanitarian organizations say they are trying to respond, but if the Americans will not attack the main problem -- land distribution -- then nothing they do will matter much.
"It's an unbelievable mess," says a representative for one such group, who visited the stadium recently. He asked to not be named because his group is vying for U.S.-paid contracts to help displaced people.
"The property issue, resettlement, none of it is being addressed by the OCPA [Office of Coalition Provisional Authority]. I've told them, 'You're burning daylight, get moving,' but nothing happens. They told me 'days not weeks' to start addressing wide-scale problems. That was two weeks ago," he says.
Even if the Americans don't want to evict anyone, he says, there is a lot of uninhabited land that could be quickly divvied up. Many Shorja families, for example, once lived on a several-mile-square lot about a mile from the stadium. Hussein had cleared the land to build apartment buildings for Arab families, but construction never began.
"There's low-hanging fruit here," he says.
In response, Evans says that a lead humanitarian organization will be designated soon to take charge of aid to the displaced persons, and local officials should be ensconced in office soon to look at the land issue.
"Hopefully, we can get the government up and running as soon as possible," he says. "We want to step back. We're trying to back away as quickly as possible."
The mirror image of Shorja Stadium can be found at an abandoned military base in Mosul. The remnants of fierce fighting are everywhere. Burned hulks of cars are strewn along the roadways while shards of twisted metal poke from the empty windows of bombed buildings. An anti-mine brigade is making its way through the complex, marking each cleared building with red paint.
Several hundred yards from their work, about 15 members of the Sabah family cling to civilization. Several adults and nine children moved into this army barracks recently after Kurdish fighters, pesh merga, evicted them from their home in al-Huriya, a village on the outskirts of Kirkuk.
"The pesh merga kicked us out by force. They brought guns, rifles, mortars, tanks," said Aida Sabah, 60. "We had a car. We took our mattresses, our blankets. About 150 families left. Those who didn't have a car walked."
Originally shepherds, the Sabah family had been living in various Kurdish villages since the 1980s, when they were given land by Hussein. In 1995, the Kurds returned to evict them, and in 2000 they were given other Kurdish land in al-Huriya, when Hussein expelled those residents and blew up their houses. They said the government told them to take the land.
Conditions at the army base are even more dire than at Shorja. The Sabah family has no water, no electricity and, unlike at Shorja, no humanitarian groups are helping them.
Barely a mile away, 10 more families from al-Huriya live in small, bare concrete rooms on another part of the base. These families have been here for six weeks, having fled their homes when Kurdish families warned them that the pesh merga were coming to kill them. Their situation worsens by the week. They fetch water by car from a broken spigot several blocks away. Their government rations are running out.
These Arab families say they knew that taking the Kurdish land in al-Huriya was unjust. "The government was trying to make al-Huriya into an Arabic village," says Ahmed Ali, 30. "We knew it was wrong, and it was temporary. But the government told us to go."
They do not seek to return there, they say. They just need land somewhere, and a bit of money to build a house. "We are poor people. We just need any land, even 100 meters, and we will build our houses. We won't make any trouble," said Ajem Jasem, 78.
A couple of weeks ago, the men here went back to al-Huriya to ask the Kurds for the wheat and barley they had planted in January. It is harvest time, the moment they wait for all year. The Kurds made them leave empty-handed.
The Sabah family made the same request, but they also turned to the Americans for help. "Our men went back there and talked to the Kurds. They told us: 'You have no business here.' We went to the Americans and they said, 'We will give you your rights back,' " says Aida Sabah. She doesn't know if the Americans will do anything. "We are waiting here," she says, "until God decides."
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Monday, June 23, 2003
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Sex, lies and American presidents (22 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Media silent on Clark's 9/11 comments -- Gen. says White House pushed Saddam link without evidence (20 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Iraqi Oil Flows Again; GI Killed: "A fuel pipeline west of Baghdad has exploded and caught fire, as Iraq returns to the world oil market, exporting its first crude oil since the U.S.-led invasion. A U.S. soldier was killed and two were wounded in a grenade attack."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Iran says it will work with nuke agency: "Iran will cooperate more with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the country's atomic chief said, but he suggested Tehran will ignore one agency request by maintaining plans to enrich uranium - a key step in making atomic bombs."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
War sinks profit at Saban's Prosieben: "Iraq: Revs dipped 16% to $474 million War in Iraq took its toll on Haim Saban's Teutonic TV group ProSiebenSat 1 in the first quarter of the year, resulting in a $38 million net loss compared with last year's profit of $6.9 million."
In Variety.com - Iraq
U.K. to review Fox: "Iraq: News net may lose license for alleged bias Rupert Murdoch's Fox News network, which long before the Iraq war had been accused of a pro-President Bush stance in its coverage, is being investigated by U.K. TV watchdogs for alleged biased reporting."
In Variety.com - Iraq
News nets post strong ratings as Baghdad falls: "Iraq: NBC continues dominance over ABC, CBS News networks continued to post strong auds as Baghdad fell to U.S. military forces last week, with ABC's evening newscast showing the most growth in the key 25-54 demo over the course of the war in Iraq."
In Variety.com - Iraq
Saddam's Fedayeen alive and well: press: "Saddam's Fedayeen, the paramilitary fighting force of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, could soon resurface, a Kurdish weekly reported. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi children take exams, as Bush vows to stay course: "Millions of Iraqi schoolchildren on Saturday took exams in a sign of the country's slow return to normal following the war, while US President George W. Bush vowed to stay the course in Baghdad despite the growing attacks on US soldiers. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Pride March in Jerusalem: "Roughly 2,000 marchers turned out for the second annual Love Without Borders parade in Jerusalem. The..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
US Iraq administrator eager for determination of Saddam's fate: "The US administrator of Iraq said he was eager to reach a final determination on the fate of Saddam Hussein to convince reluctant Iraqis to cooperate with his post-war government. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush says US troops in Iraq still face "sacrifices": "President George W. Bush warned that US forces in Iraq still face "danger and sacrifice," as their death toll mounted and the realities of lawlessness and years of neglect settled in. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US troops raid Baghdad theatre, seize 300 ageing machinegun "props": "US forces scouring Baghdad for illegal weapons have seized around 300 antiquated machineguns in one of the capital's theatres, its director said, insisting the ageing arms were stage props. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US lawmakers reach compromise on Iraqi weapons probe: "Top US senators have agreed to broaden their probe into the fate of alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and whether intelligence information about them had been manipulated to justify the war against the government of Saddam Hussein. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Variety.com - Iraq
U.K. to review Fox: "Iraq: News net may lose license for alleged bias Rupert Murdoch's Fox News network, which long before the Iraq war had been accused of a pro-President Bush stance in its coverage, is being investigated by U.K. TV watchdogs for alleged biased reporting."
In Variety.com - Iraq
News nets post strong ratings as Baghdad falls: "Iraq: NBC continues dominance over ABC, CBS News networks continued to post strong auds as Baghdad fell to U.S. military forces last week, with ABC's evening newscast showing the most growth in the key 25-54 demo over the course of the war in Iraq."
In Variety.com - Iraq
Saddam's Fedayeen alive and well: press: "Saddam's Fedayeen, the paramilitary fighting force of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, could soon resurface, a Kurdish weekly reported. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi children take exams, as Bush vows to stay course: "Millions of Iraqi schoolchildren on Saturday took exams in a sign of the country's slow return to normal following the war, while US President George W. Bush vowed to stay the course in Baghdad despite the growing attacks on US soldiers. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Pride March in Jerusalem: "Roughly 2,000 marchers turned out for the second annual Love Without Borders parade in Jerusalem. The..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
US Iraq administrator eager for determination of Saddam's fate: "The US administrator of Iraq said he was eager to reach a final determination on the fate of Saddam Hussein to convince reluctant Iraqis to cooperate with his post-war government. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush says US troops in Iraq still face "sacrifices": "President George W. Bush warned that US forces in Iraq still face "danger and sacrifice," as their death toll mounted and the realities of lawlessness and years of neglect settled in. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US troops raid Baghdad theatre, seize 300 ageing machinegun "props": "US forces scouring Baghdad for illegal weapons have seized around 300 antiquated machineguns in one of the capital's theatres, its director said, insisting the ageing arms were stage props. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US lawmakers reach compromise on Iraqi weapons probe: "Top US senators have agreed to broaden their probe into the fate of alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and whether intelligence information about them had been manipulated to justify the war against the government of Saddam Hussein. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saturday, June 21, 2003
Shiite Muslims protest U.S. presence in CNN - War in Iraq
Powell tours once-flourishing Jordan city: "Secretary of State Colin Powell did something unusual Saturday: He took a few hours off."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Update On The Saddam Survival Story: "The New York Times has posted an article the provides additional detail on the information coming from the Ace of Diamonds. Of interest: the time Saddam and his sons apparently spent in Syria after the war.
In Command Post: Irak
Iraq group warns US to leave in BBC: War in Iraq
Captured Aide Says Saddam, Sons Alive -Officials: "The most important Iraqi captured byU.S. troops yet has told his interrogators former PresidentSaddam Hussein is alive along with his two sons, who fled toSyria after the fall of Baghdad and later returned to Iraq,U.S. officials said on Saturday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US Troops Smash Open Homes to Hunt Iraqi Militants: "They rammed their vehicles intometal gates to smash them open, rounded up Iraqi men from theirhomes at gunpoint and wrote a code on their arms with markerpens. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Seizes Iraqi Documents, Intel Gear: "U.S. forces broke into an abandoned community hall early Saturday and seized piles of intelligence equipment and top secret documents bearing the seal of the former Iraqi secret service. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israel demands crackdown on Hamas: "Israel's foreign minister said Saturday that any truce agreement with Hamas must quickly be followed by a Palestinian crackdown on the violent group, which killed a motorist and wounded three passengers, all Americans, in a West Bank shooting a day earlier."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iran says it won't allow soil sampling: "A confrontation is brewing between the United States and Iran, with the Islamic country vowing to continue to put limits on U.N. weapons inspectors and the Bush administration urging them to do more about Iran's nuclear program."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
The man who wouldn't go away: The resurrection of Saddam Hussein (19 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Student on plagarised Iraq arms study: 'Government risked my life' (20 June 2003) in Radio Free USA
Powell tours once-flourishing Jordan city: "Secretary of State Colin Powell did something unusual Saturday: He took a few hours off."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Update On The Saddam Survival Story: "The New York Times has posted an article the provides additional detail on the information coming from the Ace of Diamonds. Of interest: the time Saddam and his sons apparently spent in Syria after the war.
On the basis of those intercepts and other recently obtained evidence, American intelligence agencies have shifted their view, and now say that Mr. Hussein and at least one of his sons, Qusay, probably are still alive and still in Iraq. But Mr. Mahmoud's claim that he and the sons had spent time after the war in Syria before being expelled by Syrian authorities adds a new element to that working theory.Read the rest ..."
In Command Post: Irak
Iraq group warns US to leave in BBC: War in Iraq
Captured Aide Says Saddam, Sons Alive -Officials: "The most important Iraqi captured byU.S. troops yet has told his interrogators former PresidentSaddam Hussein is alive along with his two sons, who fled toSyria after the fall of Baghdad and later returned to Iraq,U.S. officials said on Saturday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US Troops Smash Open Homes to Hunt Iraqi Militants: "They rammed their vehicles intometal gates to smash them open, rounded up Iraqi men from theirhomes at gunpoint and wrote a code on their arms with markerpens. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Seizes Iraqi Documents, Intel Gear: "U.S. forces broke into an abandoned community hall early Saturday and seized piles of intelligence equipment and top secret documents bearing the seal of the former Iraqi secret service. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israel demands crackdown on Hamas: "Israel's foreign minister said Saturday that any truce agreement with Hamas must quickly be followed by a Palestinian crackdown on the violent group, which killed a motorist and wounded three passengers, all Americans, in a West Bank shooting a day earlier."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iran says it won't allow soil sampling: "A confrontation is brewing between the United States and Iran, with the Islamic country vowing to continue to put limits on U.N. weapons inspectors and the Bush administration urging them to do more about Iran's nuclear program."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
The man who wouldn't go away: The resurrection of Saddam Hussein (19 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Student on plagarised Iraq arms study: 'Government risked my life' (20 June 2003) in Radio Free USA
Iran welcomes IAEA statement, Says U.S. failed (20 June 03) in Radio Free USA
US publicly condemns Hamas, but privately rails at Israel (21 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Baseless anti-Jewish rumor adds fuel to lingering strikes against U.S. forces (21 June 03) in Radio Free USA
US Economy: Down on our Knees - An American tale (20 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Africans challenge Bush claim that GM food good for them (19 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Iraqis were set to vote, but US wielded a veto (18 june 03) in Radio Free USA
US publicly condemns Hamas, but privately rails at Israel (21 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Baseless anti-Jewish rumor adds fuel to lingering strikes against U.S. forces (21 June 03) in Radio Free USA
US Economy: Down on our Knees - An American tale (20 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Africans challenge Bush claim that GM food good for them (19 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Iraqis were set to vote, but US wielded a veto (18 june 03) in Radio Free USA
'I just pulled the trigger' (19 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Raid Hits Intelligence Jackpot: "[Fox News]
Full story..."
In Command Post: Irak
Iraqi Assets Seized at a Glance: "The United Nations Security Council resolution on post-war Iraq demands that member countries "freeze without delay" any assets they find belonging to Saddam Hussein, his family, regime and cronies. The money is to be deposited in a development fund controlled by the United States and Britain for the Iraqi people. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Captured secretary: Saddam survived bombings: "CNN :
Full article ..."
In Command Post: Irak
Missing Iraq uranium 'secured': "CNN :
Full article ..."
In Command Post: Irak
Raid Hits Intelligence Jackpot: "[Fox News]
U.S. forces hit a possible intelligence gold mine Saturday as they raided an abandoned community hall, finding piles of intelligence equipment and stacks of top secret documents bearing the seal of the former Iraqi secret service ? some of which made reference to Iraq's nuclear program.
In the same building troops also found two large rooms stacked with cryptograph machines, secure transmission devices and binders of documents, with more papers strewn across the floor.
Some of the documents made reference to Iraq's nuclear program, including manifests for the delivery of communications equipment to the Iraqi nuclear agency. One letter, dated Feb. 7, 1998, from the National Security Council of Iraq was addressed to the Iraqi Nuclear Organization. with a carbon to the Mukhabarat, the secret intelligence service.
Full story..."
In Command Post: Irak
Iraqi Assets Seized at a Glance: "The United Nations Security Council resolution on post-war Iraq demands that member countries "freeze without delay" any assets they find belonging to Saddam Hussein, his family, regime and cronies. The money is to be deposited in a development fund controlled by the United States and Britain for the Iraqi people. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Captured secretary: Saddam survived bombings: "CNN :
WASHINGTON -- Saddam Hussein's former personal secretary has told interrogators he saw the deposed Iraqi president alive after both attempts to kill him with U.S. bombs, U.S. officials told CNN.
Those officials said Gen. Abid Hamid Mahmoud al-Tikriti, who was recently captured by U.S. forces, told interrogators that Saddam had been hiding separately from members of the former ruling family.
Government sources told CNN that Mahmoud said the last time he saw Saddam was in early April, when Saddam and his two sons, Uday and Qusay, split up to avoid capture.
Full article ..."
In Command Post: Irak
Missing Iraq uranium 'secured': "CNN :
The United Nations nuclear watchdog has accounted for most of the uranium feared stolen from Iraq's largest nuclear site, Tuwaitha, reports say.
"Nearly all the material that went missing has been recovered," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told Science magazine.
A team from the IAEA visited the facility earlier this month to check nuclear material against the agency's inventories and to secure any nuclear materials lying around.
Their report is yet to be made public.
Full article ..."
In Command Post: Irak
American killed in Hamas militant attack: "Hamas militants killed an American man Friday and wounded his wife and elderly parents, all Americans, as they drove through the West Bank to a wedding celebration - underscoring the difficulty of ending violence in the region that threatens a U.S.-backed peace plan."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Who's afraid of the US? (1 july) in RISQ
Court-Martial Recommended in Army Camp Attack: "An investigating officer onFriday recommended court-martial, which could lead to a deathsentence, for a soldier accused in a grenade and rifle attackthat killed two officers at his U.S. Army camp in Kuwait. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Looted Iraqi Uranium Found, Report Says: "Most of the uranium missing from alooted storage facility at Iraq's main nuclear site has beenaccounted for, Science magazine reported on Friday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Al-Qaeda developing bio-chemical capacity: French intelligence in IraqWar.ru (English)
EP expresses reservations on US national security strategy in IraqWar.ru (English)
US closes Kenya embassy amidst terror threat reports in IraqWar.ru (English)
Coalition casualties accounted for (Updated 19th of June) in IraqWar.ru (English)
IMF wasn't asked to forgive Iraq's debts in IraqWar.ru (English)
Russian business news in IraqWar.ru (English)
Putin says Iran ready for full IAEA control of its nuclear programs in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraq mortar attack hits US office in IraqWar.ru (English)
US Army on Iraq oil contract feels heat in IraqWar.ru (English)
Pentagon: U.S. military doesn't need more troops in IraqWar.ru (English)
Second South Dakota soldier dies in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Harman cites 'difficulty' of WMD search in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam Hussein's Fate Affects U.S. Troops in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. may consider force against Syria in IraqWar.ru (English)
Israeli gay community holds parade: "Thousands of people, many dressed in drag and waving rainbow flags, marched through Jerusalem on Friday in Israel's second annual gay pride parade."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iran blocks U.N. nuke watchdog's request: "Iran said Friday it would continue to limit the operations of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, setting the stage for confrontation with the world body."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Who's afraid of the US? (1 july) in RISQ
Court-Martial Recommended in Army Camp Attack: "An investigating officer onFriday recommended court-martial, which could lead to a deathsentence, for a soldier accused in a grenade and rifle attackthat killed two officers at his U.S. Army camp in Kuwait. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Looted Iraqi Uranium Found, Report Says: "Most of the uranium missing from alooted storage facility at Iraq's main nuclear site has beenaccounted for, Science magazine reported on Friday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Al-Qaeda developing bio-chemical capacity: French intelligence in IraqWar.ru (English)
EP expresses reservations on US national security strategy in IraqWar.ru (English)
US closes Kenya embassy amidst terror threat reports in IraqWar.ru (English)
Coalition casualties accounted for (Updated 19th of June) in IraqWar.ru (English)
IMF wasn't asked to forgive Iraq's debts in IraqWar.ru (English)
Russian business news in IraqWar.ru (English)
Putin says Iran ready for full IAEA control of its nuclear programs in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraq mortar attack hits US office in IraqWar.ru (English)
US Army on Iraq oil contract feels heat in IraqWar.ru (English)
Pentagon: U.S. military doesn't need more troops in IraqWar.ru (English)
Second South Dakota soldier dies in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Harman cites 'difficulty' of WMD search in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam Hussein's Fate Affects U.S. Troops in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. may consider force against Syria in IraqWar.ru (English)
Israeli gay community holds parade: "Thousands of people, many dressed in drag and waving rainbow flags, marched through Jerusalem on Friday in Israel's second annual gay pride parade."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iran blocks U.N. nuke watchdog's request: "Iran said Friday it would continue to limit the operations of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, setting the stage for confrontation with the world body."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Friday, June 20, 2003
Saddam casts shadow over US-controlled Iraq three months after war: "Three months after United States invaded Iraq, the US government admitted it still does not know if Saddam Hussein is alive and was still defending its military operation. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
White House says it does not know if Saddam Hussein is alive: "The United States does not know whether Saddam Hussein is alive or dead, White House spokesman Scott McClellan admitted, despite reports that US intelligence agencies believe the former Iraqi leader is hiding in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
EU wants "important" UN role in forming postwar Iraq government: "European Union leaders voiced support for an "important" UN role in the formation of a postwar Iraqi government as soon as possible, according to draft summit conclusions. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Court-Martial In Kuwait Fratricide: "Following a preliminary hearing on the grenade attack on U.S. soldiers in Kuwait, a military official has recommended that an Army sergeant face a court-martial for allegedly killing two soldiers."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Changes of command force affect officers: "Capt. Chris Carter stood on an Iraqi soccer field as the sun peeked over the horizon Friday morning and prepared himself to hand over command of the infantry company he led into combat."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
White House says it does not know if Saddam Hussein is alive: "The United States does not know whether Saddam Hussein is alive or dead, White House spokesman Scott McClellan admitted, despite reports that US intelligence agencies believe the former Iraqi leader is hiding in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
EU wants "important" UN role in forming postwar Iraq government: "European Union leaders voiced support for an "important" UN role in the formation of a postwar Iraqi government as soon as possible, according to draft summit conclusions. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Court-Martial In Kuwait Fratricide: "Following a preliminary hearing on the grenade attack on U.S. soldiers in Kuwait, a military official has recommended that an Army sergeant face a court-martial for allegedly killing two soldiers."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Changes of command force affect officers: "Capt. Chris Carter stood on an Iraqi soccer field as the sun peeked over the horizon Friday morning and prepared himself to hand over command of the infantry company he led into combat."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US Forces Attacked in Iraqi Town, Residents Say: "Attackers hit two U.S. militaryvehicles with grenades, setting them ablaze, in the restiveIraqi town of Falluja overnight, residents said on Friday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Newspaper apologises for Saddam slur on Galloway: "George Galloway has attacked the newspaper which has apologised for claiming the anti-war campaigner had taken millions of pounds from Saddam Hussein."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Ma'assalma: ""And people are afraid. Fear is not unusual here. Under the regime, everyone was afraid to talk openly. But this is a different fear. People are afraid to go out, not just at night but - especially for women - even during the day. This is a new fear and imprisons everyone." Mary Trotochaud and Rick McDowell create a vivid, heart-wrenching, and humbling picture of life in Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Newspaper apologises for Saddam slur on Galloway: "George Galloway has attacked the newspaper which has apologised for claiming the anti-war campaigner had taken millions of pounds from Saddam Hussein."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Ma'assalma: ""And people are afraid. Fear is not unusual here. Under the regime, everyone was afraid to talk openly. But this is a different fear. People are afraid to go out, not just at night but - especially for women - even during the day. This is a new fear and imprisons everyone." Mary Trotochaud and Rick McDowell create a vivid, heart-wrenching, and humbling picture of life in Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
US soldier killed, several wounded as sweep goes on for Saddam loyalists: "US troops again came under fire, with one soldier killed in a rocket attack near Baghdad and several more wounded in the flashpoint Iraqi town of Fallujah, despite a fierce US campaign to root out supporters of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Net Tightens on Saddam After Aide Seized: "The capture of Saddam Hussein's closestaide tightened the net on the missing Iraqi leader on Thursdayas a U.S. medic was killed and two were wounded when theirambulance was ambushed south of Baghdad. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. Warns S. Iraqi Poverty May Worsen: "Nearly one in every five Iraqis living in the southern half of the country suffers from chronic poverty, the World Food Program said Thursday, warning that the situation could worsen in the aftermath of the war. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Amnesty head: Current state of human rights in Iraq "worrying": "In an interview with IRIN from her office in London, Irene Zubaida Khan, the head of Amnesty International, described the current state of human rights in Iraq as "worrying", and called on the international community to make human rights the focus of the country's future reconstruction."
In Electronic Iraq
One in five Iraqis suffers from chronic poverty: "One in five Iraqis or 4.6 million people suffer from chronic poverty according to a survey* conducted by the UN World Food Programme in Southern and Central Iraq."
In Electronic Iraq
Just another day in Baghdad: ""In the eyes of the US military, the crowd of frustrated former soldiers was a threat and they eventually opened fire. The Iraqi soldiers see themselves very differently - as husbands and fathers, struggling to make a living, gripped with defeated pride and disappointment." Rory McCarthy writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Iraqi political leaders concur on need to 'Iraqi-ize' political process - UN envoy: "United Nations envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello, well into the second week of meetings with a full spectrum of Iraqi political leaders, said today he was discovering by the day a convergence of views on the need for the "Iraqi-ization" of the process of moving the country forward."
In Electronic Iraq
HRW: U.S. Should Investigate al-Falluja: "With major military operations continuing in al-Falluja, U.S. authorities should investigate the apparent use of excessive force against Iraqi protesters there on April 28 and 30, Human Rights Watch urged in a new report released today. The 18-page report challenges the US military's assertion that its troops came under fire. Human Rights Watch found no conclusive evidence of bullet damage on the school where the soldiers were based."
In Electronic Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Net Tightens on Saddam After Aide Seized: "The capture of Saddam Hussein's closestaide tightened the net on the missing Iraqi leader on Thursdayas a U.S. medic was killed and two were wounded when theirambulance was ambushed south of Baghdad. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. Warns S. Iraqi Poverty May Worsen: "Nearly one in every five Iraqis living in the southern half of the country suffers from chronic poverty, the World Food Program said Thursday, warning that the situation could worsen in the aftermath of the war. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Amnesty head: Current state of human rights in Iraq "worrying": "In an interview with IRIN from her office in London, Irene Zubaida Khan, the head of Amnesty International, described the current state of human rights in Iraq as "worrying", and called on the international community to make human rights the focus of the country's future reconstruction."
In Electronic Iraq
One in five Iraqis suffers from chronic poverty: "One in five Iraqis or 4.6 million people suffer from chronic poverty according to a survey* conducted by the UN World Food Programme in Southern and Central Iraq."
In Electronic Iraq
Just another day in Baghdad: ""In the eyes of the US military, the crowd of frustrated former soldiers was a threat and they eventually opened fire. The Iraqi soldiers see themselves very differently - as husbands and fathers, struggling to make a living, gripped with defeated pride and disappointment." Rory McCarthy writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Iraqi political leaders concur on need to 'Iraqi-ize' political process - UN envoy: "United Nations envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello, well into the second week of meetings with a full spectrum of Iraqi political leaders, said today he was discovering by the day a convergence of views on the need for the "Iraqi-ization" of the process of moving the country forward."
In Electronic Iraq
HRW: U.S. Should Investigate al-Falluja: "With major military operations continuing in al-Falluja, U.S. authorities should investigate the apparent use of excessive force against Iraqi protesters there on April 28 and 30, Human Rights Watch urged in a new report released today. The 18-page report challenges the US military's assertion that its troops came under fire. Human Rights Watch found no conclusive evidence of bullet damage on the school where the soldiers were based."
In Electronic Iraq
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Saddam's Loot: "June 19 - U.S. troops in Iraq on Thursday displayed riches recently found buried in the garden of a farmhouse near Tikrit, the birthplace of Saddam Hussein."
In War In Iraq from www.FeedRoom.com
Bill against FCC media deregulation passes first stage: "Today a Senate committee voted on a proposal to roll back some of the media deregulation established..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
Iraq Mortar Attack Hits U.S. Office: "BBC :
Full article ..."
In Command Post: Irak
In War In Iraq from www.FeedRoom.com
Bill against FCC media deregulation passes first stage: "Today a Senate committee voted on a proposal to roll back some of the media deregulation established..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
Iraq Mortar Attack Hits U.S. Office: "BBC :
Details have emerged of a mortar attack on a building used by the US-led administration in Iraq that killed one person and wounded 12 others.
All the casualties were Iraqis who were in an operations centre in Samarra, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Baghdad.
The building is used by officials co-ordinating military and civilian humanitarian efforts in Iraq.
The incident, which happened on Wednesday night, was the latest in a series of ambushes and attacks on US forces in Iraq.
Full article ..."
In Command Post: Irak
Iraq Mortar Attack Hits U.S. Office: "BBC :
Full article ..."
In Command Post: Irak
Family of Saddam's confidant tells of the night the US troops came: "Hundreds of US soldiers came under cover of darkness to search for the man who rarely left Saddam Hussein's side and who many believe harbours the secret of the deposed Iraqi leader's fate. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Arab Traditions Protected Captured Iraqi: "Saddam Hussein's top aide managed to evade U.S. forces for a time by sleeping on a mat in the home of an Iraqi family who refused to turn him in because of the tradition in Arab and Muslim countries of protecting guests. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blix amazed US hoped to find WMDs in Iraq: "Chief UN weapons inspector for Iraq, Hans Blix, said in an interview that he was amazed Washington and London expected to find large quantities of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq after UN inspectors were unable to find any. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Violence against US soldiers drags on despite capture of top Saddam aide: "A US army medic was killed in an ambush near Baghdad as guerrilla attacks showed no signs of abating despite an aggressive military sweep that has bagged Saddam Hussein's closest aide. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Details have emerged of a mortar attack on a building used by the US-led administration in Iraq that killed one person and wounded 12 others.
All the casualties were Iraqis who were in an operations centre in Samarra, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Baghdad.
The building is used by officials co-ordinating military and civilian humanitarian efforts in Iraq.
The incident, which happened on Wednesday night, was the latest in a series of ambushes and attacks on US forces in Iraq.
Full article ..."
In Command Post: Irak
Family of Saddam's confidant tells of the night the US troops came: "Hundreds of US soldiers came under cover of darkness to search for the man who rarely left Saddam Hussein's side and who many believe harbours the secret of the deposed Iraqi leader's fate. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Arab Traditions Protected Captured Iraqi: "Saddam Hussein's top aide managed to evade U.S. forces for a time by sleeping on a mat in the home of an Iraqi family who refused to turn him in because of the tradition in Arab and Muslim countries of protecting guests. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blix amazed US hoped to find WMDs in Iraq: "Chief UN weapons inspector for Iraq, Hans Blix, said in an interview that he was amazed Washington and London expected to find large quantities of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq after UN inspectors were unable to find any. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Violence against US soldiers drags on despite capture of top Saddam aide: "A US army medic was killed in an ambush near Baghdad as guerrilla attacks showed no signs of abating despite an aggressive military sweep that has bagged Saddam Hussein's closest aide. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq Ambulance Attack Kills U.S. Soldier: "Attackers fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a U.S. military ambulance Thursday, killing one American soldier and wounding two others, a military spokesman said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US Army medic killed, two wounded in attack on ambulance near Baghdad: "A US Army medic was killed and two other soldiers wounded in a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on a military ambulance in Al-Iskandariya, south of Baghdad. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq's first oil exports due in BBC: War in Iraq
Grenade Attack Kills U.S. Soldier: "[Fox News]
Full story...."
In Command Post: Irak
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US Army medic killed, two wounded in attack on ambulance near Baghdad: "A US Army medic was killed and two other soldiers wounded in a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on a military ambulance in Al-Iskandariya, south of Baghdad. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq's first oil exports due in BBC: War in Iraq
Grenade Attack Kills U.S. Soldier: "[Fox News]
At least one American soldier was killed and two others were wounded Thursday in a rocket-propelled grenade attack on a U.S. military ambulance in southwest Baghdad, the U.S. military said. The ambulance was transporting a wounded U.S. soldier to a medical facility when it was hit at about noon while on a highway in al-Iskandariyah, about 20 miles south of Baghdad.
Full story...."
In Command Post: Irak
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
Captured Iraqi May Know Fate of Saddam
From: spliffslips
CATCH OF THE DAY
--------------------
Captured Iraqi May Know Fate of Saddam
--------------------
By JOHN J. LUMPKIN
Associated Press Writer
June 18, 2003, 5:46 PM EDT
WASHINGTON -- U.S. forces have captured Saddam Hussein's top aide and presidential secretary, a man who American officials believe knows the fate of the deposed Iraqi leader and has information about banned weapons.
Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti was No. 4 on the U.S. most-wanted list of Iraqi leaders, behind only Saddam and sons Qusai and Odai.
Mahmud has detailed knowledge of Saddam's personal security arrangements and Iraq's alleged chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs, U.S. officials said. He was ranked third in authority, they said, with more power than Odai, Saddam's erratic elder son.
American forces captured him Monday in Iraq, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command, the military organization running operations there. It provided no details on the operation that led to his capture, nor did it say precisely where he was taken.
Some officials wondered why he was not found with Saddam. While there has been no conclusive evidence that Saddam and his sons survived the war, one defense official said some intelligence analysts increasingly believe they are alive.
As Saddam's presidential secretary, Mahmud controlled access to the president and was one of the few people he is said to have trusted completely, U.S. officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Intelligence reports indicate that Mahmud determined which diplomats, media and even doctors could see Saddam. Only the two sons could see the Iraqi president without going through Mahmud.
Qusai, in particular, avoided befriending Mahmud so Saddam would not think they were conspiring against him, one defense official familiar with intelligence information said.
A distant cousin of Saddam, Mahmud, 46, was the ace of diamonds on the U.S. deck of cards portraying leaders of Saddam's government. Central Command called him Saddam's national security adviser and senior bodyguard.
Mahmud started his career as a noncommissioned officer in Saddam's personal guard and was eventually promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. In the 1990s, he was put in charge of several security portfolios, including responsibility over places Iraq has been accused of hiding weapons programs.
U.S. officials have said they want to try Mahmud for war crimes or crimes against humanity for activities associated with his senior position in the Iraqi government.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer called it a "significant capture" but provided no details. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld refused to discuss the capture at a press conference.
The captured man's name is sometimes spelled Abed Hameed Hmoud. Like Saddam and many other former Iraqi leaders, he was from Tikrit, a city north of Baghdad.
Also Wednesday, the military announced it had begun raids near Tikrit.
American troops raided two farmhouses and found $8.5 million in American cash, 300 million to 400 million Iraqi dinars and an undetermined amount of British pounds and Euros, said Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division. The troops also found more than $1 million worth of gems and jewels, he said.
The troops captured one of Saddam's bodyguards and up to 50 other people believed to be tied to Saddam's security or intelligence forces or paramilitary groups, Odierno told Pentagon reporters in a video news conference from his headquarters in Tikrit.
"I believe over the next three to four days, you will hear much more about the number of senior Iraqi individuals we have detained here over the last couple of days," Odierno said. He did not mention Mahmud by name.
The U.S. troops also found Russian-made night-vision goggles and other military equipment.
Odierno said he did not know whether the cash was intended to pay bounties for attacks on American troops or to provide the Saddam loyalists with luxuries while they were in hiding.
* __
Associated Press writer Matt Kelley contributed to this report.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-leader-captured,0,4262617.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
CATCH OF THE DAY
--------------------
Captured Iraqi May Know Fate of Saddam
--------------------
By JOHN J. LUMPKIN
Associated Press Writer
June 18, 2003, 5:46 PM EDT
WASHINGTON -- U.S. forces have captured Saddam Hussein's top aide and presidential secretary, a man who American officials believe knows the fate of the deposed Iraqi leader and has information about banned weapons.
Abid Hamid Mahmud al-Tikriti was No. 4 on the U.S. most-wanted list of Iraqi leaders, behind only Saddam and sons Qusai and Odai.
Mahmud has detailed knowledge of Saddam's personal security arrangements and Iraq's alleged chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs, U.S. officials said. He was ranked third in authority, they said, with more power than Odai, Saddam's erratic elder son.
American forces captured him Monday in Iraq, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command, the military organization running operations there. It provided no details on the operation that led to his capture, nor did it say precisely where he was taken.
Some officials wondered why he was not found with Saddam. While there has been no conclusive evidence that Saddam and his sons survived the war, one defense official said some intelligence analysts increasingly believe they are alive.
As Saddam's presidential secretary, Mahmud controlled access to the president and was one of the few people he is said to have trusted completely, U.S. officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Intelligence reports indicate that Mahmud determined which diplomats, media and even doctors could see Saddam. Only the two sons could see the Iraqi president without going through Mahmud.
Qusai, in particular, avoided befriending Mahmud so Saddam would not think they were conspiring against him, one defense official familiar with intelligence information said.
A distant cousin of Saddam, Mahmud, 46, was the ace of diamonds on the U.S. deck of cards portraying leaders of Saddam's government. Central Command called him Saddam's national security adviser and senior bodyguard.
Mahmud started his career as a noncommissioned officer in Saddam's personal guard and was eventually promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. In the 1990s, he was put in charge of several security portfolios, including responsibility over places Iraq has been accused of hiding weapons programs.
U.S. officials have said they want to try Mahmud for war crimes or crimes against humanity for activities associated with his senior position in the Iraqi government.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer called it a "significant capture" but provided no details. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld refused to discuss the capture at a press conference.
The captured man's name is sometimes spelled Abed Hameed Hmoud. Like Saddam and many other former Iraqi leaders, he was from Tikrit, a city north of Baghdad.
Also Wednesday, the military announced it had begun raids near Tikrit.
American troops raided two farmhouses and found $8.5 million in American cash, 300 million to 400 million Iraqi dinars and an undetermined amount of British pounds and Euros, said Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the Army's 4th Infantry Division. The troops also found more than $1 million worth of gems and jewels, he said.
The troops captured one of Saddam's bodyguards and up to 50 other people believed to be tied to Saddam's security or intelligence forces or paramilitary groups, Odierno told Pentagon reporters in a video news conference from his headquarters in Tikrit.
"I believe over the next three to four days, you will hear much more about the number of senior Iraqi individuals we have detained here over the last couple of days," Odierno said. He did not mention Mahmud by name.
The U.S. troops also found Russian-made night-vision goggles and other military equipment.
Odierno said he did not know whether the cash was intended to pay bounties for attacks on American troops or to provide the Saddam loyalists with luxuries while they were in hiding.
* __
Associated Press writer Matt Kelley contributed to this report.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-leader-captured,0,4262617.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
N. Korea demands concessions from U.S.: "North Korea will never agree to give up its nuclear weapons program without prior U.S. concessions, state-run media said Wednesday in the first apparent acknowledgment that the communist nation has such a program."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Experts call biblical artifact a fake: "An ancient burial box purported to have held the bones of Jesus' brother, James, is a fake, Israel's Antiquities Authority said Wednesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. troops fire during Iraqi protest: "U.S. troops opened fire Wednesday during an Iraqi demonstration outside the main gate of the presidential compound, an AP photographer reported. Demonstrators claimed there were several casualties."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Experts call biblical artifact a fake: "An ancient burial box purported to have held the bones of Jesus' brother, James, is a fake, Israel's Antiquities Authority said Wednesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. troops fire during Iraqi protest: "U.S. troops opened fire Wednesday during an Iraqi demonstration outside the main gate of the presidential compound, an AP photographer reported. Demonstrators claimed there were several casualties."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Australia welcomes home its troops from Iraq
Yahoo! News: War with Iraq: "Australians shrugged off divisions over the justice of the US-led war in Iraq and turned out in their thousands to welcome home the country's military forces from the conflict. (AFP)"
Yahoo! News: War with Iraq: "Australians shrugged off divisions over the justice of the US-led war in Iraq and turned out in their thousands to welcome home the country's military forces from the conflict. (AFP)"
RISQ Meeting (21 juni) in RISQ
US troops open fire during Iraqi demonstration: "US troops have opened fire during an Iraqi demonstration outside the main gates of the presidential compound in Baghdad."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Hoon: 'Intelligence not doctored to justify war': "Geoff Hoon has rejected allegations by former ministers that intelligence information on weapons of mass destruction had been doctored to justify Britain's case for war against Iraq."
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Iraq 'too dangerous for reconstruction': "Continuing lawlessness in Iraq is hampering reconstruction, International Development Secretary Baroness Amos has said."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Soldiers frisking women alarms Iraqis: "U.S. security concerns have clashed with Iraq's traditional culture in a potentially volatile flap over American men frisking Iraqi women."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saddam Almost Certainly Still in Iraq - Britain: "The United States and its allies inthe war on Iraq have little doubt that former President SaddamHussein remains in Iraq and will eventually be caught, BritishDefense Secretary Geoff Hoon said on Wednesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Angolan 737 disappears in IraqWar.info
Iran has knack for humiliating presidents: "In debating what to do about Iran, President Bush might consider the outcome of attempts by two predecessors to deal with that country. For both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, the results were, if not ruinous, something close to it."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq Gets Court Reform; U.S. Soldier Dies: "U.S. authorities announced creation of a new criminal court Tuesday and a panel to purge judges loyal to Saddam Hussein. The U.S. military said a sweep of loyalist strongholds resulted in 400 arrests, and an American soldier was killed in Baghdad. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US troops open fire during Iraqi demonstration: "US troops have opened fire during an Iraqi demonstration outside the main gates of the presidential compound in Baghdad."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Hoon: 'Intelligence not doctored to justify war': "Geoff Hoon has rejected allegations by former ministers that intelligence information on weapons of mass destruction had been doctored to justify Britain's case for war against Iraq."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Iraq 'too dangerous for reconstruction': "Continuing lawlessness in Iraq is hampering reconstruction, International Development Secretary Baroness Amos has said."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Soldiers frisking women alarms Iraqis: "U.S. security concerns have clashed with Iraq's traditional culture in a potentially volatile flap over American men frisking Iraqi women."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saddam Almost Certainly Still in Iraq - Britain: "The United States and its allies inthe war on Iraq have little doubt that former President SaddamHussein remains in Iraq and will eventually be caught, BritishDefense Secretary Geoff Hoon said on Wednesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Angolan 737 disappears in IraqWar.info
Iran has knack for humiliating presidents: "In debating what to do about Iran, President Bush might consider the outcome of attempts by two predecessors to deal with that country. For both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, the results were, if not ruinous, something close to it."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq Gets Court Reform; U.S. Soldier Dies: "U.S. authorities announced creation of a new criminal court Tuesday and a panel to purge judges loyal to Saddam Hussein. The U.S. military said a sweep of loyalist strongholds resulted in 400 arrests, and an American soldier was killed in Baghdad. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Pentagon Considers Keeping Embedded Plan: "Attaching journalists to U.S. military units headed for battle may become an official Pentagon policy, the Defense Department's spokeswoman said Tuesday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Frees 11,000 Detainees, Holds 2,050: "U.S. forces have released more than11,000 prisoners taken in Iraq but are still holding more than2,050, most of whom it deems common criminals, the U.S.military said on Tuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
2 Former Cabinet Members Say Britain Exaggerated Iraq Claims: "The members told a House of Commons committee today that Britain made selective use of intelligence to justify going to war."
In New York Times: World Special
Reach of Iraq's cultural theft crisis extends far beyond Baghdad Museum: "In mid-April, newspaper headlines around the world declared that as many as 170,000 antiquities were looted from Baghdad's National Museum. But current news reports give disparate figures that range from 1,000 to even as low as 28 missing items. Unesco estimates the loss to be between 2,000 and 3,000 objects. The truth is that we may never know exactly how many pieces were stolen, considering that many of the recently excavated pieces in storage had not been documented and inventoried. Despite this, it is worth examining how and why the numbers changed so drastically. Regular eIraq contributor Maureen Clare Murphy investigates."
In Electronic Iraq
Palestinian leader meets with militants: "Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas met with Palestinian militant leaders Tuesday to try to negotiate an end to attacks on Israelis, as Israel weighed the implications of releasing uprising leader Marwan Barghouti as part of a possible cease-fire deal."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iran studying nuclear monitoring demand: "Iran said Tuesday it was "studying positively" a request by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency that the country allow unfettered inspections of its nuclear facilities, as pressure mounted over U.S. claims it is developing weapons."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Powell to meet Sharon en route to Jordan: "Secretary of State Colin Powell will arrive in Israel on Friday to meet with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, amid increased efforts to bolster a shaky U.S.-backed peace plan, a government official said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Frees 11,000 Detainees, Holds 2,050: "U.S. forces have released more than11,000 prisoners taken in Iraq but are still holding more than2,050, most of whom it deems common criminals, the U.S.military said on Tuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
2 Former Cabinet Members Say Britain Exaggerated Iraq Claims: "The members told a House of Commons committee today that Britain made selective use of intelligence to justify going to war."
In New York Times: World Special
Reach of Iraq's cultural theft crisis extends far beyond Baghdad Museum: "In mid-April, newspaper headlines around the world declared that as many as 170,000 antiquities were looted from Baghdad's National Museum. But current news reports give disparate figures that range from 1,000 to even as low as 28 missing items. Unesco estimates the loss to be between 2,000 and 3,000 objects. The truth is that we may never know exactly how many pieces were stolen, considering that many of the recently excavated pieces in storage had not been documented and inventoried. Despite this, it is worth examining how and why the numbers changed so drastically. Regular eIraq contributor Maureen Clare Murphy investigates."
In Electronic Iraq
Palestinian leader meets with militants: "Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas met with Palestinian militant leaders Tuesday to try to negotiate an end to attacks on Israelis, as Israel weighed the implications of releasing uprising leader Marwan Barghouti as part of a possible cease-fire deal."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iran studying nuclear monitoring demand: "Iran said Tuesday it was "studying positively" a request by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency that the country allow unfettered inspections of its nuclear facilities, as pressure mounted over U.S. claims it is developing weapons."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Powell to meet Sharon en route to Jordan: "Secretary of State Colin Powell will arrive in Israel on Friday to meet with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, amid increased efforts to bolster a shaky U.S.-backed peace plan, a government official said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Sniper Kills U.S. Soldier in Baghdad
From: spliffslips
--------------------
Sniper Kills U.S. Soldier in Baghdad
--------------------
By Associated Press
June 17, 2003, 3:35 AM EDT
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U.S. soldier on patrol in northern Baghdad was killed by a single shot from a sniper, the military said Tuesday.
The gunman escaped from the area as the soldier collapsed on the ground. He was evacuated to a first aid station but died shortly afterward, said Maj. Sean Gibson, a U.S. military spokesman.
The identity of the soldier, from the 1st Armored Division, was withheld pending notification of relatives.
The shooting came on the second day of a major operation across central and northern Iraq to seek out illegal weapons stores and hunt for ringleaders of the anti-American resistance.
Gibson said the soldier was shot in the chest late Monday, even though he was protected by body armor. The others on the patrol did not see the gunman, and it was not clear if the soldiers returned fire, Gibson said.
About 50 American soldiers have died in Iraq since major combat was declared over on May 1.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-soldier-killed,0,5115726.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
--------------------
Sniper Kills U.S. Soldier in Baghdad
--------------------
By Associated Press
June 17, 2003, 3:35 AM EDT
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U.S. soldier on patrol in northern Baghdad was killed by a single shot from a sniper, the military said Tuesday.
The gunman escaped from the area as the soldier collapsed on the ground. He was evacuated to a first aid station but died shortly afterward, said Maj. Sean Gibson, a U.S. military spokesman.
The identity of the soldier, from the 1st Armored Division, was withheld pending notification of relatives.
The shooting came on the second day of a major operation across central and northern Iraq to seek out illegal weapons stores and hunt for ringleaders of the anti-American resistance.
Gibson said the soldier was shot in the chest late Monday, even though he was protected by body armor. The others on the patrol did not see the gunman, and it was not clear if the soldiers returned fire, Gibson said.
About 50 American soldiers have died in Iraq since major combat was declared over on May 1.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-soldier-killed,0,5115726.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
Congress debates US intelligence on Iraq weapons
Yahoo! News: War with Iraq: "Lawmakers wrestled with the awkward failure of US-led forces to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, as Congress began reviewing the intelligence used to justify the war that ousted Saddam Hussein. (AFP)"
Yahoo! News: War with Iraq: "Lawmakers wrestled with the awkward failure of US-led forces to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, as Congress began reviewing the intelligence used to justify the war that ousted Saddam Hussein. (AFP)"
Monday, June 16, 2003
Iraqi Cops Feel Defanged by U.S. Rules
From: spliffslips
--------------------
Iraqi Cops Feel Defanged by U.S. Rules
--------------------
By JIM KRANE
Associated Press Writer
June 16, 2003, 3:34 AM EDT
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Lt. Haitham Saed, whose soft green eyes match his civilian shirt, doesn't have the look of a gritty cop in Baghdad's most crime-ridden neighborhood.
That's what he is -- or was, until U.S. Army military police ordered him to stop carrying his Kalashnikov assault rifle. He's also supposed to give up pistol-whipping, beatings and bribe-taking, and the Americans banned firing warning shots over the heads of fleeing criminals.
Since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime, criminals in Bettaween, a district near Tahrir Square, have been reveling in a carnival of crime, and police officers grump that it's the fault of the new approach.
"The Americans are too soft," said Saed, 28, giving a tour of the looted and burned Saadun police station, as infamous to Baghdadis as Fort Apache is to New Yorkers. "The MPs know so little about the criminals in the area. If they'd follow our advice, the neighborhood would be safe in a month."
Stolen cars are on sale at one square in Bettaween, a former Jewish neighborhood where fine old homes with carved wooden balconies have gone to seed. Prostitutes and hashish are available nearby. The garbage-filled main street is thronged with men selling smuggled liquor, and a drug-addled man blocks traffic until he is paid to move.
Under Saddam, police used rough tactics to extract confessions and deter crime. Hard cases were tortured or killed by agents of the Mukhabarat, the defunct secret police.
Although no crime statistics are available, officers say they're being straitjacketed now. They're not allowed to go on the streets with their newly reacquired AK-47s, so they don't patrol.
"We're nothing but mummies in here. We can't move. We just watch," said Lt. Qusai Fadhil, 31, the shift commander.
For now, the officers at the Saadun station also lack cars, pistols, uniforms, even furniture.
Fadhil said the defanging of his unit is only too apparent to the criminals of Bettaween.
"There is no force on the street that people respect, or are afraid of," he said. "They don't pay any attention to us."
U.S. officials counter the complaints with a simple message: Respect for Baghdad's 8,800 police officers will flow from integrity, not brutality.
"Make the people respect you because you're doing the right thing. You're serving them," retired U.S. Army Col. Jim Steele told some 50 police station commanders last week.
The Baghdad police also got a pep talk from Bernard Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner who's now the top law enforcement adviser to the U.S.-led occupation force.
"I know how dangerous this job is," Kerik told the officers. "I know how dedicated you have to be to do this work."
Iraq's U.S.-led administration is scrambling to deflect criticism over the crime wave in which hundreds of government offices and other buildings were looted and burned after Saddam's ouster. U.S. officials say the disorder was an unfortunate byproduct of exultant feelings that boil over when a brutal dictatorship is overthrown.
"The police department isn't an apparatus for the regime anymore, it's a service for the citizens," said Maj. Gillian Boice, an Army MP. "We're trying to teach them that pistol-whipping people isn't acceptable law enforcement."
In an effort to recruit and train a Baghdad force of about 18,000 officers, the U.S. Department of Justice brought in experts who helped build police forces in Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo, hiring them through security contractor Dyncorp of Reston, Va., and San Diego's Science Applications International Corp.
Currently, 30,000 U.S. soldiers -- including 3,800 MPs -- handle most of the law enforcement in this sprawling city of 5 million people.
In a month or so, Boice said, officers at the Saadun station will have new blue uniforms, sidearms, patrol cars, badges and office furniture.
Fadhil, who sits at a desk he brought from home inside an office with shattered windows, said he'll be happy to get those things. But he and his men crave guidelines that will let them carry guns, so they can do their jobs.
Police Sgt. Mohammed Hadi, 30, said he was fetching dinner recently when a beer-swilling man in a Mercedes brandished a grenade and yelled, "Get out of here."
"They call us names," Hadi said. "They insulted my wife, my sister and my mother. This is bad for an Iraqi."
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-defanged-cops,0,4554611.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
--------------------
Iraqi Cops Feel Defanged by U.S. Rules
--------------------
By JIM KRANE
Associated Press Writer
June 16, 2003, 3:34 AM EDT
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Lt. Haitham Saed, whose soft green eyes match his civilian shirt, doesn't have the look of a gritty cop in Baghdad's most crime-ridden neighborhood.
That's what he is -- or was, until U.S. Army military police ordered him to stop carrying his Kalashnikov assault rifle. He's also supposed to give up pistol-whipping, beatings and bribe-taking, and the Americans banned firing warning shots over the heads of fleeing criminals.
Since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime, criminals in Bettaween, a district near Tahrir Square, have been reveling in a carnival of crime, and police officers grump that it's the fault of the new approach.
"The Americans are too soft," said Saed, 28, giving a tour of the looted and burned Saadun police station, as infamous to Baghdadis as Fort Apache is to New Yorkers. "The MPs know so little about the criminals in the area. If they'd follow our advice, the neighborhood would be safe in a month."
Stolen cars are on sale at one square in Bettaween, a former Jewish neighborhood where fine old homes with carved wooden balconies have gone to seed. Prostitutes and hashish are available nearby. The garbage-filled main street is thronged with men selling smuggled liquor, and a drug-addled man blocks traffic until he is paid to move.
Under Saddam, police used rough tactics to extract confessions and deter crime. Hard cases were tortured or killed by agents of the Mukhabarat, the defunct secret police.
Although no crime statistics are available, officers say they're being straitjacketed now. They're not allowed to go on the streets with their newly reacquired AK-47s, so they don't patrol.
"We're nothing but mummies in here. We can't move. We just watch," said Lt. Qusai Fadhil, 31, the shift commander.
For now, the officers at the Saadun station also lack cars, pistols, uniforms, even furniture.
Fadhil said the defanging of his unit is only too apparent to the criminals of Bettaween.
"There is no force on the street that people respect, or are afraid of," he said. "They don't pay any attention to us."
U.S. officials counter the complaints with a simple message: Respect for Baghdad's 8,800 police officers will flow from integrity, not brutality.
"Make the people respect you because you're doing the right thing. You're serving them," retired U.S. Army Col. Jim Steele told some 50 police station commanders last week.
The Baghdad police also got a pep talk from Bernard Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner who's now the top law enforcement adviser to the U.S.-led occupation force.
"I know how dangerous this job is," Kerik told the officers. "I know how dedicated you have to be to do this work."
Iraq's U.S.-led administration is scrambling to deflect criticism over the crime wave in which hundreds of government offices and other buildings were looted and burned after Saddam's ouster. U.S. officials say the disorder was an unfortunate byproduct of exultant feelings that boil over when a brutal dictatorship is overthrown.
"The police department isn't an apparatus for the regime anymore, it's a service for the citizens," said Maj. Gillian Boice, an Army MP. "We're trying to teach them that pistol-whipping people isn't acceptable law enforcement."
In an effort to recruit and train a Baghdad force of about 18,000 officers, the U.S. Department of Justice brought in experts who helped build police forces in Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo, hiring them through security contractor Dyncorp of Reston, Va., and San Diego's Science Applications International Corp.
Currently, 30,000 U.S. soldiers -- including 3,800 MPs -- handle most of the law enforcement in this sprawling city of 5 million people.
In a month or so, Boice said, officers at the Saadun station will have new blue uniforms, sidearms, patrol cars, badges and office furniture.
Fadhil, who sits at a desk he brought from home inside an office with shattered windows, said he'll be happy to get those things. But he and his men crave guidelines that will let them carry guns, so they can do their jobs.
Police Sgt. Mohammed Hadi, 30, said he was fetching dinner recently when a beer-swilling man in a Mercedes brandished a grenade and yelled, "Get out of here."
"They call us names," Hadi said. "They insulted my wife, my sister and my mother. This is bad for an Iraqi."
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-defanged-cops,0,4554611.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
U.S. Troops Ambushed in Iraq as New Raids Launched: "Guerrillas ambushed a U.S.convoy in the hostile region north of Baghdad Sunday, woundingseveral soldiers, as a new U.S. mission was launched to huntfor Saddam Hussein loyalists blamed for recent attacks. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Satire only weapon left for "Pavement" poet in Iraq: "Unemployed and fearful of US intent in Iraq, Hussein al-Ayash has taken up his pen, but given his dire circumstances his one-man newspaper, The Pavement, is hand-written and only displayed on one of Baghdad's busiest streets. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
BAGHDAD'S LOOTING THAT WASN'T: " (New York Post)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Troops Seize Weapons Across Iraq: "With a deadline passed for Iraqis to hand in heavy weapons, U.S. forces fanned out across Iraq on Sunday to seize arms and put down potential foes - and tried to soothe the sting with deliveries of food, fuel, medical supplies and even teddy bears. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Convoy Ambushed in Iraq, Truck Ablaze: "A U.S. military convoy wasambushed on a highway near the restive Iraqi town of BaladSunday, and a truck was ablaze after apparently being hit by arocket-propelled grenade, a Reuters witness said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Spokesman: U.N., U.S. Not at Odds on Iraq: "The United Nations is not at odds with the United States on how to deal with postwar Iraq, a U.N. spokesman said Sunday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqis Angered by U.S. Security Sweep: "Jassim Mohammed and his family were sleeping out on the front yard - an escape from the summer's stifling heat - when U.S. soldiers stormed in at 3 a.m., kicking the gate open and rushing past them into the house. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. begins new military operation in Iraq in CNN - War in Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Satire only weapon left for "Pavement" poet in Iraq: "Unemployed and fearful of US intent in Iraq, Hussein al-Ayash has taken up his pen, but given his dire circumstances his one-man newspaper, The Pavement, is hand-written and only displayed on one of Baghdad's busiest streets. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
BAGHDAD'S LOOTING THAT WASN'T: " (New York Post)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Troops Seize Weapons Across Iraq: "With a deadline passed for Iraqis to hand in heavy weapons, U.S. forces fanned out across Iraq on Sunday to seize arms and put down potential foes - and tried to soothe the sting with deliveries of food, fuel, medical supplies and even teddy bears. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Convoy Ambushed in Iraq, Truck Ablaze: "A U.S. military convoy wasambushed on a highway near the restive Iraqi town of BaladSunday, and a truck was ablaze after apparently being hit by arocket-propelled grenade, a Reuters witness said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Spokesman: U.N., U.S. Not at Odds on Iraq: "The United Nations is not at odds with the United States on how to deal with postwar Iraq, a U.N. spokesman said Sunday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqis Angered by U.S. Security Sweep: "Jassim Mohammed and his family were sleeping out on the front yard - an escape from the summer's stifling heat - when U.S. soldiers stormed in at 3 a.m., kicking the gate open and rushing past them into the house. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. begins new military operation in Iraq in CNN - War in Iraq
Sunday, June 15, 2003
U.S. military: Insurgents in Afghanistan stepping up attacks on coalition in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. Attack Threatens To Create Thousands of New Iraqi Enemies in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. Forces ?Slaughter? Iraqis At Dawn: Eyewitness in IraqWar.ru (English)
US forces raid flashpoint town in BBC: War in Iraq
Bush hasn't lost hope for Mideast peace: "President Bush said Sunday he has not lost hope for peace in the Middle East and appealed for help in dealing harshly with Hamas and other militant groups responsible for renewed attacks on Israelis."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Egyptians urge end to attacks on Israelis: "Egyptian mediators met Palestinian militants Sunday in an attempt to persuade them to halt attacks on Israelis, while Israel said it is considering a gradual withdrawal from Bethlehem and large parts of the Gaza Strip."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Attack Threatens To Create Thousands of New Iraqi Enemies in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. Forces ?Slaughter? Iraqis At Dawn: Eyewitness in IraqWar.ru (English)
US forces raid flashpoint town in BBC: War in Iraq
Bush hasn't lost hope for Mideast peace: "President Bush said Sunday he has not lost hope for peace in the Middle East and appealed for help in dealing harshly with Hamas and other militant groups responsible for renewed attacks on Israelis."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Egyptians urge end to attacks on Israelis: "Egyptian mediators met Palestinian militants Sunday in an attempt to persuade them to halt attacks on Israelis, while Israel said it is considering a gradual withdrawal from Bethlehem and large parts of the Gaza Strip."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Sweeps Iraqi City for Militia, Arms
From: spliffslips
--------------------
U.S. Sweeps Iraqi City for Militia, Arms
--------------------
By CHRIS TOMLINSON
Associated Press Writer
June 15, 2003, 9:40 AM EDT
FALLUJAH, Iraq -- U.S. soldiers backed by helicopters and tanks raided homes, rounded up suspects and confiscated weapons in the restive town of Fallujah on Sunday, part of a nationwide campaign to root out anti-American insurgents who've been stepping up attacks.
Operation Desert Scorpion, launched Sunday, involves a series of sweeps throughout Iraq using most of the U.S. Army units present in the country, said Army Capt. John Morgan, a spokesman for the Army's V Corps.
"It's a combat operation to defeat the remaining pockets of resistance that are delaying the transition to a peaceful and stable Iraq," Morgan said.
Iraqi families complained of heavy-handed tactics by the 1,300 troops who carried out the raids in Fallujah, a town that has shown the strongest. Some said troops broke into homes and arrested people with no involvement in attacks on American forces.
Jassim Ali Mohammed, 60, said 20 troops raided his house in the middle of the night, handcuffed his two sons and forced them to lie face down on the ground, later taking them away.
He said soldiers also took documents and even some children's school books.
"I'm 60 years old and I have nothing to do with all this. Even Saddam never did a thing like this to us. We got rid of one problem and now we're having a bigger one," said Mohammed, turning his face to wipe away tears.
To defuse animosity, troops followed up their assault by delivering humanitarian supplies, including school books, medicine and even teddy bears. Major humanitarian deliveries would be made throughout Sunday, officials said.
No American or Iraqi casualties were reported in the operation involving soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade. The sweep -- one of the largest since major combat was declared over May 1 -- met no resistance and lasted three hours.
Participating in Operation Desert Scorpion are the Army's 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions, the 101st Airborne Division, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, the 1st Armored Division and some U.S. Air Force Units, Morgan said.
He added that the raids across Iraq are often made "using specific intelligence to go after specific targets.
"To the best of our ability we're trying to limit the number of innocent bystanders caught up in this," he said.
The nationwide sweep aimed to seize militants and unauthorized arms following the end of a deadline for Iraqis to turn in any weapons heavier than an assault rifle.
Nearly 50 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the end of the war. Many of the attacks have taken place in the area north and west of Baghdad known as the "Sunni triangle," where some people remain loyal to the ousted, Sunni-dominated regime of Saddam Hussein.
Of the Sunni cities, Fallujah has been the most openly volatile: Residents have made no secret of their rage since U.S. troops fired on crowds in April, killing 18 and wounding at least 78 in two confrontations.
Residents of Fallujah, 35 miles west of Baghdad, were alerted of an impending operation Sunday from fellow citizens who blared announcements from mosque loudspeakers. During the raid, they sounded sirens and flashed porch lights in apparent warnings to each other that American troops were coming.
The sweep -- codenamed "Spartan Scorpion" in Fallujah -- began at about 3 a.m., hours after the weapons deadline passed.
Soldiers targeted 16 buildings where officers said intelligence reports showed militia operations were under way or weapons stockpiled for use against U.S. forces.
Troops arrested seven people from a single location suspected of being major figures in the resistance to the U.S.-led occupation. They were found with weapons, bombs, bomb-making materials and communications equipment, said Col. David Perkins, the brigade commander. An eighth armed man was arrested for violating the curfew.
With OH-1 KIOWA observation helicopters whirring overhead, one company of about 100 soldiers searched 12 farm houses in the northwest side of the city. Soldiers rousted the residents from their beds, including women and children sleeping outside in the cool night air.
Hamid Mukhlif, 69, said about 30 armor-backed troops raided the school where he works as a security guard around 3:30 a.m.
Mukhlif, who sat with dozens of other residents at the mayor's office after the raid, said he was handcuffed, ordered to lie face down on the ground, then told to stand with his face against a light pole.
"They didn't find anything except my rifle, which they allowed me to keep," he said.
Within an hour after dawn, the streets of Fallujah were filled with normal traffic, weaving alongside convoys of American Humvees and Bradley armored vehicles.
The raid against Fallujah followed an extensive action last week against towns in the "Sunni triangle." About 60 of the 400 people detained during that search-and-seizure operation remained in custody for further interrogation, the U.S. Central Command said.
Those in custody included former Iraqi generals of Saddam Hussein's army -- Maj. Gen. Abul Ali Jasmin, the secretary of the defense ministry, and Brig. Gen. Abdullah Ali Jasmin, head of the Iraqi military academy.
Hoping to offset ill will from the Fallujah raid, a massive delivery of medical and school supplies, food and toys began moving into the town after dawn.
Outside the school district office, an American army truck guarded by soldiers was unloading 2,000 meals of rice, crackers, beans and bread. "We don't need their help. Our homes are full of food," said Khalil Khaneif, an administrator of the boy's secondary school next door.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-raid,0,6402203.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
--------------------
U.S. Sweeps Iraqi City for Militia, Arms
--------------------
By CHRIS TOMLINSON
Associated Press Writer
June 15, 2003, 9:40 AM EDT
FALLUJAH, Iraq -- U.S. soldiers backed by helicopters and tanks raided homes, rounded up suspects and confiscated weapons in the restive town of Fallujah on Sunday, part of a nationwide campaign to root out anti-American insurgents who've been stepping up attacks.
Operation Desert Scorpion, launched Sunday, involves a series of sweeps throughout Iraq using most of the U.S. Army units present in the country, said Army Capt. John Morgan, a spokesman for the Army's V Corps.
"It's a combat operation to defeat the remaining pockets of resistance that are delaying the transition to a peaceful and stable Iraq," Morgan said.
Iraqi families complained of heavy-handed tactics by the 1,300 troops who carried out the raids in Fallujah, a town that has shown the strongest. Some said troops broke into homes and arrested people with no involvement in attacks on American forces.
Jassim Ali Mohammed, 60, said 20 troops raided his house in the middle of the night, handcuffed his two sons and forced them to lie face down on the ground, later taking them away.
He said soldiers also took documents and even some children's school books.
"I'm 60 years old and I have nothing to do with all this. Even Saddam never did a thing like this to us. We got rid of one problem and now we're having a bigger one," said Mohammed, turning his face to wipe away tears.
To defuse animosity, troops followed up their assault by delivering humanitarian supplies, including school books, medicine and even teddy bears. Major humanitarian deliveries would be made throughout Sunday, officials said.
No American or Iraqi casualties were reported in the operation involving soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade. The sweep -- one of the largest since major combat was declared over May 1 -- met no resistance and lasted three hours.
Participating in Operation Desert Scorpion are the Army's 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions, the 101st Airborne Division, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, the 1st Armored Division and some U.S. Air Force Units, Morgan said.
He added that the raids across Iraq are often made "using specific intelligence to go after specific targets.
"To the best of our ability we're trying to limit the number of innocent bystanders caught up in this," he said.
The nationwide sweep aimed to seize militants and unauthorized arms following the end of a deadline for Iraqis to turn in any weapons heavier than an assault rifle.
Nearly 50 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the end of the war. Many of the attacks have taken place in the area north and west of Baghdad known as the "Sunni triangle," where some people remain loyal to the ousted, Sunni-dominated regime of Saddam Hussein.
Of the Sunni cities, Fallujah has been the most openly volatile: Residents have made no secret of their rage since U.S. troops fired on crowds in April, killing 18 and wounding at least 78 in two confrontations.
Residents of Fallujah, 35 miles west of Baghdad, were alerted of an impending operation Sunday from fellow citizens who blared announcements from mosque loudspeakers. During the raid, they sounded sirens and flashed porch lights in apparent warnings to each other that American troops were coming.
The sweep -- codenamed "Spartan Scorpion" in Fallujah -- began at about 3 a.m., hours after the weapons deadline passed.
Soldiers targeted 16 buildings where officers said intelligence reports showed militia operations were under way or weapons stockpiled for use against U.S. forces.
Troops arrested seven people from a single location suspected of being major figures in the resistance to the U.S.-led occupation. They were found with weapons, bombs, bomb-making materials and communications equipment, said Col. David Perkins, the brigade commander. An eighth armed man was arrested for violating the curfew.
With OH-1 KIOWA observation helicopters whirring overhead, one company of about 100 soldiers searched 12 farm houses in the northwest side of the city. Soldiers rousted the residents from their beds, including women and children sleeping outside in the cool night air.
Hamid Mukhlif, 69, said about 30 armor-backed troops raided the school where he works as a security guard around 3:30 a.m.
Mukhlif, who sat with dozens of other residents at the mayor's office after the raid, said he was handcuffed, ordered to lie face down on the ground, then told to stand with his face against a light pole.
"They didn't find anything except my rifle, which they allowed me to keep," he said.
Within an hour after dawn, the streets of Fallujah were filled with normal traffic, weaving alongside convoys of American Humvees and Bradley armored vehicles.
The raid against Fallujah followed an extensive action last week against towns in the "Sunni triangle." About 60 of the 400 people detained during that search-and-seizure operation remained in custody for further interrogation, the U.S. Central Command said.
Those in custody included former Iraqi generals of Saddam Hussein's army -- Maj. Gen. Abul Ali Jasmin, the secretary of the defense ministry, and Brig. Gen. Abdullah Ali Jasmin, head of the Iraqi military academy.
Hoping to offset ill will from the Fallujah raid, a massive delivery of medical and school supplies, food and toys began moving into the town after dawn.
Outside the school district office, an American army truck guarded by soldiers was unloading 2,000 meals of rice, crackers, beans and bread. "We don't need their help. Our homes are full of food," said Khalil Khaneif, an administrator of the boy's secondary school next door.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-raid,0,6402203.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
CNN.com - U.S. launches 'Operation Scorpion' in Iraq - Jun. 14, 2003
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CNN.com will
Saturday, June 14, 2003
US troops battle resistance in Iraq as Chalabi warns Washington: "US forces in Iraq pressed on with attempts to crush resistance to their occupation of the country, as a prominent Iraqi politician warned they could not expect to see attacks end unless they gave local people more power. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
CIA reassigns two top Iraq experts amid WMD controversy: "The US Central Intelligence Agency has reassigned two senior officials who oversaw its analysis of Iraq and its suspected weapons of mass destruction, according to a media report. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Battle Gives Look at U.S. Tactics in Iraq: "A battle between tanks and guerrillas north of Baghdad shows the strategy U.S. forces are trying to use in their fight against pro-Saddam holdouts: draw opponents into the open, then pound them with helicopters and armor. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Dollar Returns to Center Stage in Iraq: "For much of Saddam Hussein's regime, possession of U.S. dollars was a crime punishable by the amputation of a hand. But nowadays the greenback is the hottest item in Baghdad. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Six companies buying Iraq's first post-war oil batch: "Six companies have agreed to buy 10 million barrels of Iraqi oil, marking the country's first major oil export since the invasion by the US and Britain."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
CIA reassigns two top Iraq experts amid WMD controversy: "The US Central Intelligence Agency has reassigned two senior officials who oversaw its analysis of Iraq and its suspected weapons of mass destruction, according to a media report. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Battle Gives Look at U.S. Tactics in Iraq: "A battle between tanks and guerrillas north of Baghdad shows the strategy U.S. forces are trying to use in their fight against pro-Saddam holdouts: draw opponents into the open, then pound them with helicopters and armor. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Dollar Returns to Center Stage in Iraq: "For much of Saddam Hussein's regime, possession of U.S. dollars was a crime punishable by the amputation of a hand. But nowadays the greenback is the hottest item in Baghdad. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Six companies buying Iraq's first post-war oil batch: "Six companies have agreed to buy 10 million barrels of Iraqi oil, marking the country's first major oil export since the invasion by the US and Britain."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
As U.S. Fans Out in Iraq, Violence and Death on Rise: "The U.S. campaign to uproot the remnants of guerrilla fighters has caused civilian casualties and is inflaming sentiments among the Iraqis."
In New York Times: World Special
Democrats Split on Challenging Iraq Arms Hunt: "Democrats are struggling over how strongly to challenge President Bush about the failure so far to find biological or chemical weapons."
In New York Times: World Special
Iraqi Pipeline Blast and Fire Are Laid to Sabotage: "An explosion occurred Thursday night along a major oil pipeline route in north-central Iraq and appears to have been an act of sabotage."
In New York Times: World Special
Hussein's Image Is Banned in Public, Except on Money: "Earlier this month, the coalition administration in Iraq began printing 250-dinar notes, with Saddam Hussein's picture."
In New York Times: World Special
In New York Times: World Special
Democrats Split on Challenging Iraq Arms Hunt: "Democrats are struggling over how strongly to challenge President Bush about the failure so far to find biological or chemical weapons."
In New York Times: World Special
Iraqi Pipeline Blast and Fire Are Laid to Sabotage: "An explosion occurred Thursday night along a major oil pipeline route in north-central Iraq and appears to have been an act of sabotage."
In New York Times: World Special
Hussein's Image Is Banned in Public, Except on Money: "Earlier this month, the coalition administration in Iraq began printing 250-dinar notes, with Saddam Hussein's picture."
In New York Times: World Special
Hussein Is Said to Threaten Foreign Attacks: "Saddam Hussein has threatened attacks in countries with troops taking part in Iraq's occupation, according to a letter he is said to have faxed to an Arabic newspaper."
In New York Times: World Special
Israel continues assassinations despite widespread condemnation, civilians of both sides face conseq: "67% of Israelis, according to an opinion poll released today, want Israel's assassinations of individuals..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
Renewed Iraq Fighting: "June 13 - U.S. forces killed 27 Iraqi fighters in a ground and air pursuit Friday after the Iraqis attacked an American tank patrol north of Baghdad."
In War In Iraq from www.FeedRoom.com
In New York Times: World Special
Israel continues assassinations despite widespread condemnation, civilians of both sides face conseq: "67% of Israelis, according to an opinion poll released today, want Israel's assassinations of individuals..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
Renewed Iraq Fighting: "June 13 - U.S. forces killed 27 Iraqi fighters in a ground and air pursuit Friday after the Iraqis attacked an American tank patrol north of Baghdad."
In War In Iraq from www.FeedRoom.com
war blog iraq war updates
UNICEF wary of post-war child trafficking in Iraq: "Noting a flurry of news reports indicating an increase in the number of children on the streets in Baghdad, UNICEF says the situation is ripe for exploitation of children. UNICEF warns that while street children are a concern in Iraq, there is no overnight solution."
In Electronic Iraq
Congressman: Ambushed troops misdirected: "An Army maintenance unit that lost 11 soldiers and had several taken prisoner in an ambush in Iraq was sent in the wrong direction by other American soldiers as they sped to catch up to their convoy, a Texas congressman said Friday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Coalition soldier found dead in Iraq lake: "A coalition soldier was found dead in a lake at a military compound near the town of Fallujah Friday, the U.S. military said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Meet 'The Family' -- Interview with a writer who went undercover among America's powerful secret Christian fellowship (13 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Japan to send troops: "Defying the pacifist nature of their Constitution, which prohibits the use of force to solve disputes and limits military activity to purely self-defense purposes, Japan's Cabinet backed a bill to send forces to Iraq to aid in reconstruction and in the disposal of weapons of mass destruction."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Powell asks Syria to clamp down on terror: "Secretary of State Colin Powell asked Syria on Friday to help stem terrorism in the Middle East."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Hamas member dies in Gaza missile attack: "Despite appeals to break a cycle of attack and counterattack, Israel broadened its campaign against Palestinian militants Friday, saying it will go after political as well as military leaders who target Israel with terrorism."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Tense calm blankets Tehran after protests: "Hundreds of police locked down the Iranian capital on Friday, following three nights of wild protests and clashes between pro-democracy supporters and militants aligned with Iran's hard-line regime."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. troops repel Iraqi attack on tanks: "U.S. troops in Apache helicopters and Bradley armored vehicles fought Iraqi attackers Friday after Iraqis hiding in a thicket of reeds rushed a U.S. tank patrol."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
UNICEF wary of post-war child trafficking in Iraq: "Noting a flurry of news reports indicating an increase in the number of children on the streets in Baghdad, UNICEF says the situation is ripe for exploitation of children. UNICEF warns that while street children are a concern in Iraq, there is no overnight solution."
In Electronic Iraq
Congressman: Ambushed troops misdirected: "An Army maintenance unit that lost 11 soldiers and had several taken prisoner in an ambush in Iraq was sent in the wrong direction by other American soldiers as they sped to catch up to their convoy, a Texas congressman said Friday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Coalition soldier found dead in Iraq lake: "A coalition soldier was found dead in a lake at a military compound near the town of Fallujah Friday, the U.S. military said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Meet 'The Family' -- Interview with a writer who went undercover among America's powerful secret Christian fellowship (13 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Japan to send troops: "Defying the pacifist nature of their Constitution, which prohibits the use of force to solve disputes and limits military activity to purely self-defense purposes, Japan's Cabinet backed a bill to send forces to Iraq to aid in reconstruction and in the disposal of weapons of mass destruction."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Powell asks Syria to clamp down on terror: "Secretary of State Colin Powell asked Syria on Friday to help stem terrorism in the Middle East."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Hamas member dies in Gaza missile attack: "Despite appeals to break a cycle of attack and counterattack, Israel broadened its campaign against Palestinian militants Friday, saying it will go after political as well as military leaders who target Israel with terrorism."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Tense calm blankets Tehran after protests: "Hundreds of police locked down the Iranian capital on Friday, following three nights of wild protests and clashes between pro-democracy supporters and militants aligned with Iran's hard-line regime."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. troops repel Iraqi attack on tanks: "U.S. troops in Apache helicopters and Bradley armored vehicles fought Iraqi attackers Friday after Iraqis hiding in a thicket of reeds rushed a U.S. tank patrol."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Friday, June 13, 2003
Purported Saddam Letter Threatens New Attacks: "Saddam Hussein hascalled on foreigners to leave Iraq and threatened attacks incountries with troops occupying his former state, according toa letter he purportedly faxed to an Arabic newspaper Friday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq War Killed More Than 5,000 Civilians - Group: "Post-war studies including crucialhospital and mortuary counts show that more than 5,000civilians died in the recent Iraq conflict, an Anglo-Americanresearch group said Friday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq War Killed More Than 5,000 Civilians - Group: "Post-war studies including crucialhospital and mortuary counts show that more than 5,000civilians died in the recent Iraq conflict, an Anglo-Americanresearch group said Friday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
NATO agrees on Iraq Support Role: "From the AFP, via the Sydney Morning Herald
In Command Post: Irak
70 Terrorists Killed: "Updating a previous story , from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
In Command Post: Irak
NATO defence ministers agreed on a new streamlined command structure to adapt the alliance for missions far outside Europe, including a modest supporting role in Iraq, officials said."
The decision came as Spain and Ukraine each committed to head a brigade of an 8,000-strong multinational division to help stabilise Iraq, which will be led by Poland with NATO's support, officials said. ... A senior US official said NATO had undergone a "near-death experience" in February, when three anti-war countries blocked the Alliance from providing defensive support for Turkey ahead of the Iraq conflict.
"I think the alliance is in a much better place than it was in February when we had some serious divisions. As is usual with NATO warnings of its death are always premature ," a senior US defence official said.
US officials pointed to recent agreements by NATO to take command of peacekeepers in Afghanistan and to support Poland in leading an 8,000-strong multinational division in Iraq as evidence that the allies are getting back to business.
Spanish Defence Minister Federico Trillo announced that Spain will "co-lead" the division.
In Command Post: Irak
70 Terrorists Killed: "Updating a previous story , from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
US troops have killed at least 70 people in a "terrorist" training camp in Iraq, a US military spokesman says."
He said one US soldier was wounded in the operation, which was still in progress.
The 101st Airborne Division took part in the raid.
The army said earlier the raid on the camp, 150 kilometre north-west of Baghdad, was part of the " continued effort to eradicate Baath Party loyalists, paramilitary groups and other subversive elements ", but gave no details on the camp.
The operation began in the early hours of Thursday morning with an air strike on the camp.
In Command Post: Irak
Iraq prisoners give possible weapons info
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq: "Captured Iraqis have given U.S. interrogators information about possible chemical and biological weapons sites, the commander of American ground troops in Iraq said Friday."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq: "Captured Iraqis have given U.S. interrogators information about possible chemical and biological weapons sites, the commander of American ground troops in Iraq said Friday."
Iraqis buying and hoarding guns, grenades: "Hussein fidgets in his chair and looks around as he answers questions about his arms business. After much coaxing and encouragement from friends, he softens and describes his trade as "booming.""
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
'Some Crazy Guy' - Why one shouldn't minimize the threat of the US radical right (13 June 03) in Radio Free USA
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
'Some Crazy Guy' - Why one shouldn't minimize the threat of the US radical right (13 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Resistance to occupation is growing - US and British troops are being sucked into an Iraqi quagmire (13 June 03) in Radio Free USA
A tested theocracy: More unrest on the streets of Tehran. Is America pulling the strings? (12 June 03) in Radio Free USA
A tested theocracy: More unrest on the streets of Tehran. Is America pulling the strings? (12 June 03) in Radio Free USA
U.S. Forces Kill 27 Iraqis in Clash: "U.S. forces killed 27 Iraqi fighters in a ground and air pursuit Friday after the Iraqis attacked an American tank patrol north of Baghdad, the military said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Poll: Israelis oppose military strikes: "Most Israelis oppose the latest round of airborne strikes against Palestinian militants, according to a poll published Friday in an Israeli newspaper."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel moves to target top Hamas leaders: "Israel has decided to target top Hamas leaders, including founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, Israeli officials and media said Friday, confirming a policy change likely to speed up an attack-revenge cycle that has already claimed 46 lives in four days."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Turkish FM: Iraq Oil Pipeline Fire Was Sabotage: "Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gulsaid on Friday sabotage had caused a fire in the Iraqi sectionof a pipeline carrying oil to Turkey. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US troops detain 74 suspected Al-Qaeda sympathisers in Iraq: "US troops have detained 74 suspected Al-Qaeda sympathisers in a raid in northern Iraq, Central Command said in its first explicit claim of involvement by Osama bin Laden's Islamist militant network in post-war unrest here. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Campaign Vs. Saddam Loyalists in Day 4: "A massive U.S. campaign to crush resistance by supporters of the ousted Saddam Hussein regime entered its fourth day Friday with U.S. officials saying a large number of Iraqi fighters had been killed. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Poll: Israelis oppose military strikes: "Most Israelis oppose the latest round of airborne strikes against Palestinian militants, according to a poll published Friday in an Israeli newspaper."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel moves to target top Hamas leaders: "Israel has decided to target top Hamas leaders, including founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, Israeli officials and media said Friday, confirming a policy change likely to speed up an attack-revenge cycle that has already claimed 46 lives in four days."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Turkish FM: Iraq Oil Pipeline Fire Was Sabotage: "Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gulsaid on Friday sabotage had caused a fire in the Iraqi sectionof a pipeline carrying oil to Turkey. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US troops detain 74 suspected Al-Qaeda sympathisers in Iraq: "US troops have detained 74 suspected Al-Qaeda sympathisers in a raid in northern Iraq, Central Command said in its first explicit claim of involvement by Osama bin Laden's Islamist militant network in post-war unrest here. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Campaign Vs. Saddam Loyalists in Day 4: "A massive U.S. campaign to crush resistance by supporters of the ousted Saddam Hussein regime entered its fourth day Friday with U.S. officials saying a large number of Iraqi fighters had been killed. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US Troops Kill 27 Iraqi Attackers: "U.S. forces killed 27 Iraqis whoattacked a tank patrol north of Baghdad Friday, the U.S.military said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US military operation continues in central Iraq: "US forces are fighting for a fourth day in Iraq as they try to stamp out resistance by supporters of Saddam Hussein's former regime."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US military operation continues in central Iraq: "US forces are fighting for a fourth day in Iraq as they try to stamp out resistance by supporters of Saddam Hussein's former regime."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Covert Unit Hunted for Iraqi Arms in IraqWar.ru (English)
Chalabi: Defectors Gave Arms Information in IraqWar.ru (English)
Violent week touching lives in Mideast: "It's someone's aunt, or a friend of a friend. A daughter. A fiance. Many Israelis and Palestinians know someone who's been hurt or killed in a Palestinian suicide bombing or an Israeli military strike."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Reform protests in Iran enter third day: "Hundreds of protesters called for the death of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei as thousands of onlookers watched early Friday, the third day of demonstrations in the capital despite threats by the hard-line regime to crack down to end the disturbances."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Baghdad's oil returns to the market amid continuing violence: "Iraq's oil returned to the world market, bringing hopes for economic recovery as US-led forces went on the offensive against resistance elements and former Iraqi soldiers battled with police. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Chalabi: Defectors Gave Arms Information in IraqWar.ru (English)
Violent week touching lives in Mideast: "It's someone's aunt, or a friend of a friend. A daughter. A fiance. Many Israelis and Palestinians know someone who's been hurt or killed in a Palestinian suicide bombing or an Israeli military strike."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Reform protests in Iran enter third day: "Hundreds of protesters called for the death of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei as thousands of onlookers watched early Friday, the third day of demonstrations in the capital despite threats by the hard-line regime to crack down to end the disturbances."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Baghdad's oil returns to the market amid continuing violence: "Iraq's oil returned to the world market, bringing hopes for economic recovery as US-led forces went on the offensive against resistance elements and former Iraqi soldiers battled with police. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Thursday, June 12, 2003
PRISONER DIES AFTER ESCAPE ATTEMPT in CENTCOM: News Release
No treaty, no aid: "Enough with the sweet talk. It's back to good old bullying at the White House, which is pressuring Balkan countries to exempt U.S. soldiers from the international human rights tribunal. The Guardian reports, "In an exercise in brute diplomacy which is causing more acute friction with the European Union following the rows over Iraq, the U.S. administration is threatening to cut off tens of millions of dollars in aid to the countries of the Balkans unless they reach bilateral agreements with the US on the ICC by the end of this month.""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
U.S. Military Targets Saddam Loyalists: "U.S. fighter jets bombed a suspected terrorist camp and troops stormed door-to-door through Sunni Muslim towns Thursday, seeking Saddam Hussein loyalists in one of the biggest American military assaults since the war. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Allies 'delaying return of Iraqi refugees': "A senior Iranian official has claimed US and Britain are delaying the return of thousands of Iraqi refugees who fled to Iran during Saddam Hussein's reign."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
No treaty, no aid: "Enough with the sweet talk. It's back to good old bullying at the White House, which is pressuring Balkan countries to exempt U.S. soldiers from the international human rights tribunal. The Guardian reports, "In an exercise in brute diplomacy which is causing more acute friction with the European Union following the rows over Iraq, the U.S. administration is threatening to cut off tens of millions of dollars in aid to the countries of the Balkans unless they reach bilateral agreements with the US on the ICC by the end of this month.""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
U.S. Military Targets Saddam Loyalists: "U.S. fighter jets bombed a suspected terrorist camp and troops stormed door-to-door through Sunni Muslim towns Thursday, seeking Saddam Hussein loyalists in one of the biggest American military assaults since the war. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Allies 'delaying return of Iraqi refugees': "A senior Iranian official has claimed US and Britain are delaying the return of thousands of Iraqi refugees who fled to Iran during Saddam Hussein's reign."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Allies 'delaying return of Iraqi refugees': "A senior Iranian official has claimed US and Britain are delaying the return of thousands of Iraqi refugees who fled to Iran during Saddam Hussein's reign."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
US loses two aircraft over Iraq in BBC: War in Iraq
U.S. helicopter, jet down during Iraq raid in CNN - War in Iraq
US Puts Priority on Iraq's Power, Port and Airport: "Despite persistent securityproblems, the United States aims by the end of next month tohave reliable power in Baghdad, open the city's airport andhave Iraq's main port ready to handle bulk cargo, a senior U.S.official said on Thursday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Vase in Iraqi Museum Returned Undamaged: "The sacred Vase of Warka - one of the most valuable artifacts of the Iraqi National Museum collection, feared lost forever - was returned unceremoniously Thursday in the trunk of a car. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Ananova: War In Iraq
US loses two aircraft over Iraq in BBC: War in Iraq
U.S. helicopter, jet down during Iraq raid in CNN - War in Iraq
US Puts Priority on Iraq's Power, Port and Airport: "Despite persistent securityproblems, the United States aims by the end of next month tohave reliable power in Baghdad, open the city's airport andhave Iraq's main port ready to handle bulk cargo, a senior U.S.official said on Thursday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Vase in Iraqi Museum Returned Undamaged: "The sacred Vase of Warka - one of the most valuable artifacts of the Iraqi National Museum collection, feared lost forever - was returned unceremoniously Thursday in the trunk of a car. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. jets bomb 'terrorist camp' in Iraq
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq: "U.S. jets bombed what the military called "a terrorist training camp" in central Iraq on Thursday, while ground forces pressed forward with a massive sweep north of Baghdad aimed at finding militants organizing attacks on occupation forces."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq: "U.S. jets bombed what the military called "a terrorist training camp" in central Iraq on Thursday, while ground forces pressed forward with a massive sweep north of Baghdad aimed at finding militants organizing attacks on occupation forces."
Voices from the Jordanian desert: "Ahmad, Maysoun and Mahmoud are three of the hundreds of people who fled the war in Iraq and found shelter in the Jordan Red Crescent camp at Ruweishid. They were able to get back in touch with their families thanks to the ICRC's phone service."
In Electronic Iraq
Iraqi Detainee Dies in Custody -U.S. Military: "An Iraqi detainee held at a facilityrun by U.S.-led forces in southeastern Iraq was found dead, theU.S. military said on Thursday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Electronic Iraq
Iraqi Detainee Dies in Custody -U.S. Military: "An Iraqi detainee held at a facilityrun by U.S.-led forces in southeastern Iraq was found dead, theU.S. military said on Thursday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US troops nab about 400 Iraqi suspects in massive crackdown: "The US military, stung by sporadic guerrilla strikes in Iraq, has lunged back at its presumed assailants, rounding up about 400 suspects in what is seen as one the largest combat operations since the fall of Baghdad, US defense officials said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi youth puzzled by Saddam's legacy: "For decades they were taught that Saddam Hussein was their compassionate father, a beloved genius and war hero."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqis shop for look into Saddam's life: "Men push toward the market stall, elbowing their way to the front and standing on their toes to see Ali Zowrayi's wares, behind-the-curtain glimpses of the fallen dictator who terrorized a nation."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Targets used via Jerusalem's diversity: "Some bleach their hair, dress as mall shoppers or wear the uniforms of soldiers. Others enshroud themselves in black coats and hats to disappear into the crowds of Jerusalem's Orthodox Jews."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi youth puzzled by Saddam's legacy: "For decades they were taught that Saddam Hussein was their compassionate father, a beloved genius and war hero."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqis shop for look into Saddam's life: "Men push toward the market stall, elbowing their way to the front and standing on their toes to see Ali Zowrayi's wares, behind-the-curtain glimpses of the fallen dictator who terrorized a nation."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Targets used via Jerusalem's diversity: "Some bleach their hair, dress as mall shoppers or wear the uniforms of soldiers. Others enshroud themselves in black coats and hats to disappear into the crowds of Jerusalem's Orthodox Jews."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
CIA Taps Ex-UN Inspector to Help Find Iraq Weapons: "Amid the failure so far to findIraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, the CIA said onWednesday it had enlisted a former chief U.N. nuclear weaponsinspector to refine the search. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Global scramble for Iraq work: "Frims gather in the US to bid for reconstruction work amid continuing uncertainty."
In BBC: War in Iraq
U.S. captures suspected Saddam loyalists: "Using jet fighters, tank-buster aircraft and patrol boats, the U.S. military launched a massive operation to crush opposition north of Baghdad and captured nearly 400 suspected Saddam Hussein loyalists in a bid to end daily attacks against American soldiers."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Annan's envoy holds fourth day of meetings with Iraqi political leaders: "United Nations envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello held his fourth day of consultations with Iraqi political leaders on Wednesday and again stressed that he would do everything in his power to assist the Iraqi people ?at this critical juncture in their history.?"
In Electronic Iraq
Baghdad: A race against the clock: "Eight weeks after victoriously entering Baghdad, American forces are in a race against the clock. If they are unable to restore both personal security and public services and establish a better rapport with Iraqis before the blistering heat of summer sets in, there is a genuine risk that serious trouble will break out. This ICG briefing paper focuses primarily on the immediate aftermath of the war, reconstruction and humanitarian assistance and is based on fieldwork that ICG began in the latter part of May 2003 within the city limits of Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Food aid vital for 16 million people: "After living on monthly food rations for the last seven years, Nazdar Isma'il cannot imagine what her life would be like without the assistance. "If the food rations were stopped tomorrow, I don't think I would be able to feed my four children," she shyly admits. "With the little money my husband makes as a taxi driver, we pay the rent, buy a few clothes, and the rest goes for medicine for the children. There is not much left over to buy food in the market," Nazdar told IRIN."
In Electronic Iraq
Justice in July: Protest George W. Bush: "The National Constitution Center opens in Philadelphia on July 4, and George W. Bush has been invited to celebrate. We're inviting thousands of people from Philadelphia and around the country to protest against Bush and the unconstitutional policies of his administration."
In Electronic Iraq
300 bands say the peace movement must keep moving: "A reworked version of the peace movement fundraiser CD ?Peace Not War?, was compiled with 11 new tracks for American release, and is released today through Mordam Records. The cult-classic double-album will be backed up by a new website with 300 anti-war songs by both signed and bedroom-studio musicians from around the world, anti-war images and a peace group search engine."
In Electronic Iraq
UN Children?s Fund warns of surge in diarrhoeal diseases: "Warning that in Iraq diarrhoea is a major killer, the United Nations Children?s Fund (UNICEF) has reported much higher rates of the disease than this time last year. ?While diarrhoea may sound trivial, in Iraq it kills,? UNICEF spokesman Geoffrey Keele told a briefing yesterday in Baghdad, noting that prior to the latest war, 70 per cent of all child deaths in the country were due to diarrhoea and respiratory infection."
In Electronic Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Global scramble for Iraq work: "Frims gather in the US to bid for reconstruction work amid continuing uncertainty."
In BBC: War in Iraq
U.S. captures suspected Saddam loyalists: "Using jet fighters, tank-buster aircraft and patrol boats, the U.S. military launched a massive operation to crush opposition north of Baghdad and captured nearly 400 suspected Saddam Hussein loyalists in a bid to end daily attacks against American soldiers."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Annan's envoy holds fourth day of meetings with Iraqi political leaders: "United Nations envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello held his fourth day of consultations with Iraqi political leaders on Wednesday and again stressed that he would do everything in his power to assist the Iraqi people ?at this critical juncture in their history.?"
In Electronic Iraq
Baghdad: A race against the clock: "Eight weeks after victoriously entering Baghdad, American forces are in a race against the clock. If they are unable to restore both personal security and public services and establish a better rapport with Iraqis before the blistering heat of summer sets in, there is a genuine risk that serious trouble will break out. This ICG briefing paper focuses primarily on the immediate aftermath of the war, reconstruction and humanitarian assistance and is based on fieldwork that ICG began in the latter part of May 2003 within the city limits of Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Food aid vital for 16 million people: "After living on monthly food rations for the last seven years, Nazdar Isma'il cannot imagine what her life would be like without the assistance. "If the food rations were stopped tomorrow, I don't think I would be able to feed my four children," she shyly admits. "With the little money my husband makes as a taxi driver, we pay the rent, buy a few clothes, and the rest goes for medicine for the children. There is not much left over to buy food in the market," Nazdar told IRIN."
In Electronic Iraq
Justice in July: Protest George W. Bush: "The National Constitution Center opens in Philadelphia on July 4, and George W. Bush has been invited to celebrate. We're inviting thousands of people from Philadelphia and around the country to protest against Bush and the unconstitutional policies of his administration."
In Electronic Iraq
300 bands say the peace movement must keep moving: "A reworked version of the peace movement fundraiser CD ?Peace Not War?, was compiled with 11 new tracks for American release, and is released today through Mordam Records. The cult-classic double-album will be backed up by a new website with 300 anti-war songs by both signed and bedroom-studio musicians from around the world, anti-war images and a peace group search engine."
In Electronic Iraq
UN Children?s Fund warns of surge in diarrhoeal diseases: "Warning that in Iraq diarrhoea is a major killer, the United Nations Children?s Fund (UNICEF) has reported much higher rates of the disease than this time last year. ?While diarrhoea may sound trivial, in Iraq it kills,? UNICEF spokesman Geoffrey Keele told a briefing yesterday in Baghdad, noting that prior to the latest war, 70 per cent of all child deaths in the country were due to diarrhoea and respiratory infection."
In Electronic Iraq
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Iraq's would-be king says he has no desire for regal lifestyle: report: "Al-Shareef Ali bin al-Hussein, a pretender to Iraq's throne who has returned to Baghdad for the first time in 45 years, has told a British newspaper that his homecoming is not about seeking power or wealth but rather to help the Iraqi people. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
GOP Rejects Formal Probe of Iraq Intel: "Majority Republicans in Congress brushed aside Democratic pleas for a formal investigation into the handling of intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs, saying Wednesday that routine oversight should suffice. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iran rejected on nuclear monitor offer: "The Bush administration on Wednesday rejected an offer by Iran to permit additional international monitoring of its nuclear development in exchange for the right to import advanced technology."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
GOP Rejects Formal Probe of Iraq Intel: "Majority Republicans in Congress brushed aside Democratic pleas for a formal investigation into the handling of intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs, saying Wednesday that routine oversight should suffice. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iran rejected on nuclear monitor offer: "The Bush administration on Wednesday rejected an offer by Iran to permit additional international monitoring of its nuclear development in exchange for the right to import advanced technology."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Blix casts off diplomatic reserve to denounce Pentagon smears: "An undiplomatic attack by the outgoing chief UN arms inspector for Iraq, Hans Blix, on his critics in Washington met with understanding by some at the United Nations. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
"Blow to Blair over 'mobile labs'": "From The Observer :
Powell defends them being biological labs here , and there are previous posts here , here , and here ."
In Command Post: Irak
Chalabi: 'Saddam and WMD will be found': "CFR breakfast meeting
In Command Post: Irak
Bush condemns Jerusalem bus bombing: "President Bush deplored Wednesday's bus bombing in Jerusalem and urged all nations to block financial assistance to the Palestinian militant group Hamas and similar organizations and "isolate those who hate so much that they are willing to kill to stop peace.""
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Jerusalem blast kills 16; 7 die in Gaza: "A suicide bomber blew himself up on a bus in Jerusalem on Wednesday, killing at least 16 people and wounding nearly 70. An hour later, an Israeli helicopter fired missiles at a car in Gaza City, killing two Hamas officials and at least five other people and wounding 30."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Team surveys damage to ancient Iraq sites: "Some ancient sites in Iraq, where civilization began, have been looted and badly damaged but others remain well-guarded, according to a team of researchers who conducted the first archaeological survey outside Baghdad since the war ended."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Former Iraq FM defends US plans for interim administration: "Octogenarian ex-foreign minister Adnan Pachachi defended the US-led coalition's plans for an Iraqi interim administration against growing criticism from other former exiles. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
WEAPONS OF MASS OPPRESSION: " (New York Post)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
"Blow to Blair over 'mobile labs'": "From The Observer :
Tony Blair faces a fresh crisis over Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, as evidence emerges that two vehicles that he has repeatedly claimed to be Iraqi mobile biological warfare production units are nothing of the sort... The intelligence agency MI6, British defence officers and technical experts from the Porton Down microbiological research establishment have been ordered to conduct an urgent review of the mobile facilities, following US analysis which casts serious doubt on whether they really are germ labs...
Instead The Observer has established that it is increasingly likely that the units were designed to be used for hydrogen production to fill artillery balloons, part of a system originally sold to Saddam by Britain in 1987...
A separate investigation published by the New York Times yesterday discloses that the trailers have now been investigated by three different teams of Western experts, with the third and most senior group of analysts apparently divided sharply over their function...
Powell defends them being biological labs here , and there are previous posts here , here , and here ."
In Command Post: Irak
Chalabi: 'Saddam and WMD will be found': "CFR breakfast meeting
Ahmad Chalabi, co-founder of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), claimed on Tuesday that Saddam Hussein, constantly on the move to evade capture, has offered a bounty for every American soldier killed in Iraq. [...] He insisted that the weapons would be found, just as Saddam would eventually be captured. "The key is to find the concealment teams," he asserted. "These people will guide you to the weapons."Full story »» and Full transcript »»"
In Command Post: Irak
Bush condemns Jerusalem bus bombing: "President Bush deplored Wednesday's bus bombing in Jerusalem and urged all nations to block financial assistance to the Palestinian militant group Hamas and similar organizations and "isolate those who hate so much that they are willing to kill to stop peace.""
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Jerusalem blast kills 16; 7 die in Gaza: "A suicide bomber blew himself up on a bus in Jerusalem on Wednesday, killing at least 16 people and wounding nearly 70. An hour later, an Israeli helicopter fired missiles at a car in Gaza City, killing two Hamas officials and at least five other people and wounding 30."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Team surveys damage to ancient Iraq sites: "Some ancient sites in Iraq, where civilization began, have been looted and badly damaged but others remain well-guarded, according to a team of researchers who conducted the first archaeological survey outside Baghdad since the war ended."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Former Iraq FM defends US plans for interim administration: "Octogenarian ex-foreign minister Adnan Pachachi defended the US-led coalition's plans for an Iraqi interim administration against growing criticism from other former exiles. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
WEAPONS OF MASS OPPRESSION: " (New York Post)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
King of Iraq back in Baghdad, sort of in IraqWar.info
No OPEC for Iraq in IraqWar.info
Saddam Alive and offering Bouty in IraqWar.info
Blix lashes out at US "Bastards" in IraqWar.info
COALITION EFFORTS AID IRAQ?S RECOVERY (JUNE 11, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
IRAQI DETAINEE DIES IN COALITION CUSTODY in CENTCOM: News Release
COALITION AND IRAQI POLICE WORK TO MAKE IRAQ SECURE (JUNE 11, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
No OPEC for Iraq in IraqWar.info
Saddam Alive and offering Bouty in IraqWar.info
Blix lashes out at US "Bastards" in IraqWar.info
COALITION EFFORTS AID IRAQ?S RECOVERY (JUNE 11, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
IRAQI DETAINEE DIES IN COALITION CUSTODY in CENTCOM: News Release
COALITION AND IRAQI POLICE WORK TO MAKE IRAQ SECURE (JUNE 11, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
US arrests two more wanted Iraqis; suffers new casualties: "US-led forces arrested two more senior members of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime but suffered new casualties from a resistance that American officials said will take time to root out. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam coming back to Iraq on new money: "The gargantuan task of resurrecting Iraq's economy will begin with $100 million in repairs to roads and buildings - and the printing of new bank notes bearing the likeness of Saddam Hussein, the top U.S. official in Iraq said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel unapologetic about botched attacks: "Egypt's intelligence chief renewed truce efforts Wednesday in a long-shot mission aimed at persuading Hamas to halt violence despite an Israeli missile strike that wounded a leader of the Islamic militant group."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Free to loose? in RISQ
Blix hits out at "bastards" in Pentagon: "Outgoing chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has described certain members of the US administration as "bastards" who set out to undermine him during his three years at the helm. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam coming back to Iraq on new money: "The gargantuan task of resurrecting Iraq's economy will begin with $100 million in repairs to roads and buildings - and the printing of new bank notes bearing the likeness of Saddam Hussein, the top U.S. official in Iraq said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel unapologetic about botched attacks: "Egypt's intelligence chief renewed truce efforts Wednesday in a long-shot mission aimed at persuading Hamas to halt violence despite an Israeli missile strike that wounded a leader of the Islamic militant group."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Free to loose? in RISQ
Blix hits out at "bastards" in Pentagon: "Outgoing chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has described certain members of the US administration as "bastards" who set out to undermine him during his three years at the helm. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
ONE U.S. SOLDIER KILLED, ONE WOUNDED IN BAGHDAD ATTACK (REVISED) in CENTCOM: News Release
Saddam Loyalists Target Troops: "Another U.S. soldier died in Iraq Tuesday in a grenade attack. Growing evidence indicates the attacks are being organized on at least a regional level by remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Saddam Loyalists Target Troops: "Another U.S. soldier died in Iraq Tuesday in a grenade attack. Growing evidence indicates the attacks are being organized on at least a regional level by remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Iran student protest becomes demonstration: "A student protest against privatizing some of Iran's universities Tuesday turned into a larger demonstration against the hard-line clerics that rule the country."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
AP corrects Saudi-US-Lawsuit story: "In an Aug. 21, 2002, story about Saudi reactions to a U.S. lawsuit filed by relatives of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York and Washington, The Associated Press erroneously identified one of the persons quoted as a vice president of Al-Rajhi Banking and Investment Corp., which was named as a defendant in the suit. The person quoted, Abdel Rahman al-Rajhi, has no connection with Al-Rajhi Banking and Investment Corp."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. soldier killed in Baghdad attack: "One U.S. Army soldier was killed and another was injured Tuesday when attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades at American troops in Baghdad, Central Command said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Official: Iraq stabilization proves tough: "The task of stabilizing postwar Iraq has proven "tougher and more complex" than the Bush administration foresaw, mainly because of violence and sabotage that appears to be organized by trained forces, a top Pentagon policy adviser said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Egyptologists doubt Nefertiti mummy claim: "Egyptologists cast doubt Tuesday on an expedition's claim that it may have found the mummy of Queen Nefertiti, one of the best-known ancient Egyptians."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israeli attack on Hamas leader kills 2: "Israel sent helicopters to kill a senior Hamas political leader in the crowded streets of Gaza on Tuesday but failed, leaving two other Palestinians dead and 27 wounded. The missile attack threatened to rekindle a cycle of violence and wreck a new U.S.-backed peace effort."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel punishes officer in press shooting: "The Israeli military has reprimanded an officer for firing at an Associated Press photographer in an armored car bearing press markings in the West Bank City of Hebron 19 months ago."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Rantisi has been noted voice of Hamas: "For more than a decade, Abdel Aziz Rantisi - a doctor and sometime poet - has been the most recognizable voice of Hamas."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Revise and conquer -- Bush family whitewashing in Iraq and Nazi Germany (10 June 03) in Radio Free USA
AP: 3,240 Civilians Died In War: "An Associated Press investigation found that at least 3,240 civilians died across Iraq during the month-long war. The count is still fragmentary and a complete toll ? if it is ever tallied ? is sure to be much higher."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
OPEC likely to keep production levels: "The world's leading oil producers appear likely to maintain their production levels as world markets prepare for the unfettered return of Iraqi oil."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Official: U.S. adjusting to Iraq violence: "The task of stabilizing postwar Iraq has proven "tougher and more complex" than the Bush administration foresaw, mainly because of violence and sabotage that appears to be organized by trained forces, a top Pentagon policy adviser said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
AP corrects Saudi-US-Lawsuit story: "In an Aug. 21, 2002, story about Saudi reactions to a U.S. lawsuit filed by relatives of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York and Washington, The Associated Press erroneously identified one of the persons quoted as a vice president of Al-Rajhi Banking and Investment Corp., which was named as a defendant in the suit. The person quoted, Abdel Rahman al-Rajhi, has no connection with Al-Rajhi Banking and Investment Corp."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. soldier killed in Baghdad attack: "One U.S. Army soldier was killed and another was injured Tuesday when attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades at American troops in Baghdad, Central Command said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Official: Iraq stabilization proves tough: "The task of stabilizing postwar Iraq has proven "tougher and more complex" than the Bush administration foresaw, mainly because of violence and sabotage that appears to be organized by trained forces, a top Pentagon policy adviser said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Egyptologists doubt Nefertiti mummy claim: "Egyptologists cast doubt Tuesday on an expedition's claim that it may have found the mummy of Queen Nefertiti, one of the best-known ancient Egyptians."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israeli attack on Hamas leader kills 2: "Israel sent helicopters to kill a senior Hamas political leader in the crowded streets of Gaza on Tuesday but failed, leaving two other Palestinians dead and 27 wounded. The missile attack threatened to rekindle a cycle of violence and wreck a new U.S.-backed peace effort."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel punishes officer in press shooting: "The Israeli military has reprimanded an officer for firing at an Associated Press photographer in an armored car bearing press markings in the West Bank City of Hebron 19 months ago."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Rantisi has been noted voice of Hamas: "For more than a decade, Abdel Aziz Rantisi - a doctor and sometime poet - has been the most recognizable voice of Hamas."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Revise and conquer -- Bush family whitewashing in Iraq and Nazi Germany (10 June 03) in Radio Free USA
AP: 3,240 Civilians Died In War: "An Associated Press investigation found that at least 3,240 civilians died across Iraq during the month-long war. The count is still fragmentary and a complete toll ? if it is ever tallied ? is sure to be much higher."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
OPEC likely to keep production levels: "The world's leading oil producers appear likely to maintain their production levels as world markets prepare for the unfettered return of Iraqi oil."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Official: U.S. adjusting to Iraq violence: "The task of stabilizing postwar Iraq has proven "tougher and more complex" than the Bush administration foresaw, mainly because of violence and sabotage that appears to be organized by trained forces, a top Pentagon policy adviser said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Anarchy Still Plagues Iraqi Cities in IraqWar.ru (English)
Three Iraqis Killed in Ammunition Facility Blast in IraqWar.ru (English)
N.Korea Rejects U.S. Drugs, Fake Money Charges in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iran Says Its Has No Hidden Nuclear Facilities in IraqWar.ru (English)
Russia strengthens its military shield in IraqWar.ru (English)
In fury over casus belli, the peril of probing Bush in IraqWar.ru (English)
Many think U.S. will have to stay years in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Intelligence questions in IraqWar.ru (English)
Fort Hood soldier, 19, dies in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush signals new spin on bioweapons in IraqWar.ru (English)
Coalition casualties accounted for (Updated 9th of June) in IraqWar.ru (English)
Chalabi: Saddam seen north of Baghdad: "The Associated Press reports :
In Command Post: Irak
Accused Looters Plead Innocent in Court: "A young man said he just happened to be walking by a store that hundreds of people were looting. A middle-aged man said he'd never seen the assault rifle police found in his car. And an old fisherman said his grenades were a new, more efficient way of doing his job. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Armitage encourages Japan to send troops to war-torn Iraq: "US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage encouraged Japan to "get out of the stands" and send troops to Iraq to help with its reconstruction. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iran agrees with US on Iraq arms in IraqWar.info
Death chamber being planned for Gitmo in IraqWar.info
Three Iraqis Killed in Ammunition Facility Blast in IraqWar.ru (English)
N.Korea Rejects U.S. Drugs, Fake Money Charges in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iran Says Its Has No Hidden Nuclear Facilities in IraqWar.ru (English)
Russia strengthens its military shield in IraqWar.ru (English)
In fury over casus belli, the peril of probing Bush in IraqWar.ru (English)
Many think U.S. will have to stay years in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Intelligence questions in IraqWar.ru (English)
Fort Hood soldier, 19, dies in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush signals new spin on bioweapons in IraqWar.ru (English)
Coalition casualties accounted for (Updated 9th of June) in IraqWar.ru (English)
Chalabi: Saddam seen north of Baghdad: "The Associated Press reports :
Saddam Hussein has been seen north of Baghdad and is paying a bounty for every American soldier killed, the leader of an Iraqi exile group said Tuesday."
Saddam has $1.3 billion in cash taken from the Central Bank on March 18, is bent on revenge and believes he can "sit it out and get the Americans going," said Ahmed Chalabi, head of the Iraqi National Congress.
In Command Post: Irak
Accused Looters Plead Innocent in Court: "A young man said he just happened to be walking by a store that hundreds of people were looting. A middle-aged man said he'd never seen the assault rifle police found in his car. And an old fisherman said his grenades were a new, more efficient way of doing his job. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Armitage encourages Japan to send troops to war-torn Iraq: "US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage encouraged Japan to "get out of the stands" and send troops to Iraq to help with its reconstruction. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iran agrees with US on Iraq arms in IraqWar.info
Death chamber being planned for Gitmo in IraqWar.info
Carjacker steals hearse
Ananova: War In Iraq: "A carjacker in Baghdad ordered 10 mourners to get out of a hearse before speeding off in the vehicle."
Ananova: War In Iraq: "A carjacker in Baghdad ordered 10 mourners to get out of a hearse before speeding off in the vehicle."
Troops begin removing West Bank outposts: "Israeli soldiers knocked down empty mobile homes and water towers in 10 tiny West Bank settlement outposts overnight as part of a U.S.-backed peace plan, but settlers threatened resistance and Palestinians dismissed the effort as deception."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqis Search for Kin in Mass Graves: "They came in a blue minibus, an unlikely fivesome brought together by an unwanted bond - Nasser Taleb and his sister Hala, two Kurdish men and a woman from the southern city of Basra, looking for clues among the dead. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rumsfeld suggests Saddam source of Iraqi unrest: "Saddam Hussein may be behind Iraq's continuing unrest even if he is dead, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said as US occupation authorities strugggled to stave off anarchy and rebuild the devastated land. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Three Iraqis Killed in Ammunition Facility Blast: "An explosion at an Iraqi ammunitionfacility has killed three Iraqis and wounded two others, theUnited States Central Command said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush Adamant Iraq Had Banned Weapons 'Program': "President Bush stated flatly onMonday that Iraq had a weapons of mass destruction program andrejected the idea of Washington's credibility being at stake inthe search for banned arms. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israeli settlers converge on 4 outposts: "Israeli soldiers began tearing down settlement outposts in the West Bank on Monday - an Israeli obligation under a new Mideast peace plan. Settlers threatened to turn out by the thousands to frustrate the effort and Palestinians dismissed the effort as deception."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Second Baghdad blogger active in IraqWar.info
Iraqis warned about US deaths in IraqWar.info
In the south, fresh water comes out of a truck: "It is a telling symptom of the topsy-turvy world that is postwar Iraq that the 20 litres of water Muhammad Ma'tuq is loading into the back of his truck cost 10 times as much as the 20 litres of petrol he bought on his way towards getting it. Ma'tuq does not have to pay for the water - the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) takes care of that - but its actual cost serves to illustrate its enormous importance, as well as in terms of the outbreak of cholera which has now taken hold in at least two of the southern governorates."
In Electronic Iraq
Iraqi political leaders urge UN envoy to help set up democracy: "The top United Nations official in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, continued his efforts to consult with the widest possible spectrum of Iraqi society today, meeting with a top Muslim official who asked that the world body play an independent role in helping the Iraqi people."
In Electronic Iraq
Rumsfeld: Iraq Weapons Intel Will Prove Correct: "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld saidlate on Monday that the intelligence on Iraq was notpoliticized and the assessment that Baghdad possessed weaponsof mass destruction will ultimately prove correct. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqis Search for Kin in Mass Graves: "They came in a blue minibus, an unlikely fivesome brought together by an unwanted bond - Nasser Taleb and his sister Hala, two Kurdish men and a woman from the southern city of Basra, looking for clues among the dead. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rumsfeld suggests Saddam source of Iraqi unrest: "Saddam Hussein may be behind Iraq's continuing unrest even if he is dead, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said as US occupation authorities strugggled to stave off anarchy and rebuild the devastated land. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Three Iraqis Killed in Ammunition Facility Blast: "An explosion at an Iraqi ammunitionfacility has killed three Iraqis and wounded two others, theUnited States Central Command said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush Adamant Iraq Had Banned Weapons 'Program': "President Bush stated flatly onMonday that Iraq had a weapons of mass destruction program andrejected the idea of Washington's credibility being at stake inthe search for banned arms. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israeli settlers converge on 4 outposts: "Israeli soldiers began tearing down settlement outposts in the West Bank on Monday - an Israeli obligation under a new Mideast peace plan. Settlers threatened to turn out by the thousands to frustrate the effort and Palestinians dismissed the effort as deception."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Second Baghdad blogger active in IraqWar.info
Iraqis warned about US deaths in IraqWar.info
In the south, fresh water comes out of a truck: "It is a telling symptom of the topsy-turvy world that is postwar Iraq that the 20 litres of water Muhammad Ma'tuq is loading into the back of his truck cost 10 times as much as the 20 litres of petrol he bought on his way towards getting it. Ma'tuq does not have to pay for the water - the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) takes care of that - but its actual cost serves to illustrate its enormous importance, as well as in terms of the outbreak of cholera which has now taken hold in at least two of the southern governorates."
In Electronic Iraq
Iraqi political leaders urge UN envoy to help set up democracy: "The top United Nations official in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, continued his efforts to consult with the widest possible spectrum of Iraqi society today, meeting with a top Muslim official who asked that the world body play an independent role in helping the Iraqi people."
In Electronic Iraq
Rumsfeld: Iraq Weapons Intel Will Prove Correct: "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld saidlate on Monday that the intelligence on Iraq was notpoliticized and the assessment that Baghdad possessed weaponsof mass destruction will ultimately prove correct. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In the south, fresh water comes out of a truck: "It is a telling symptom of the topsy-turvy world that is postwar Iraq that the 20 litres of water Muhammad Ma'tuq is loading into the back of his truck cost 10 times as much as the 20 litres of petrol he bought on his way towards getting it. Ma'tuq does not have to pay for the water - the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) takes care of that - but its actual cost serves to illustrate its enormous importance, as well as in terms of the outbreak of cholera which has now taken hold in at least two of the southern governorates."
In Electronic Iraq
Iraqi political leaders urge UN envoy to help set up democracy: "The top United Nations official in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, continued his efforts to consult with the widest possible spectrum of Iraqi society today, meeting with a top Muslim official who asked that the world body play an independent role in helping the Iraqi people."
In Electronic Iraq
Rumsfeld: Iraq Weapons Intel Will Prove Correct: "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld saidlate on Monday that the intelligence on Iraq was notpoliticized and the assessment that Baghdad possessed weaponsof mass destruction will ultimately prove correct. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush Asserts Iraq 'Had a Weapons Program': "President Bush insisted Monday that Iraq had a weapons program, and the White House asked for patience during a search for evidence to prove it. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rumsfeld: Saddam's Absence Fuels Violence: "The failure of the U.S.-led coalition to prove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is dead may be fueling continued violence and resistance in the country, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Monday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
USAID: Flaws Found in Iraq Contract Bids: "The bidding on Iraqi postwar reconstruction contracts at the U.S. Agency for International Development is flawed, with the education contract essentially awarded without competition, an internal investigation concluded. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq's Most Dangerous City: "Attacks against American soldiers happen almost every night in the central Iraqi town of Fallujah, which has become the center of resistance to the U.S.-led occupation."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Execution tapes on sale: "Gruesome video tapes depicting executions of mostly Shia Muslims in the aftermath of the first Gulf War are being sold on the streets of Iraq. The BBC reports, "Some of the tapes show a man who appears to be Lieutenant General Ali Hassan al-Majid, a cousin of Saddam Hussein, better known as 'Chemical Ali,' killing people.""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Forum on U.S. foreign policy: "The Oakland, Calif.-based Independent Institute is holding a public forum on U.S. foreign policy titled "Preemptive War Strategy: A New U.S. Empire?" on June 25. If you're interested in hearing more about the libertarian critique of the war, you can sign up to attend the event at the institute website."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
In Electronic Iraq
Iraqi political leaders urge UN envoy to help set up democracy: "The top United Nations official in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, continued his efforts to consult with the widest possible spectrum of Iraqi society today, meeting with a top Muslim official who asked that the world body play an independent role in helping the Iraqi people."
In Electronic Iraq
Rumsfeld: Iraq Weapons Intel Will Prove Correct: "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld saidlate on Monday that the intelligence on Iraq was notpoliticized and the assessment that Baghdad possessed weaponsof mass destruction will ultimately prove correct. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush Asserts Iraq 'Had a Weapons Program': "President Bush insisted Monday that Iraq had a weapons program, and the White House asked for patience during a search for evidence to prove it. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rumsfeld: Saddam's Absence Fuels Violence: "The failure of the U.S.-led coalition to prove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is dead may be fueling continued violence and resistance in the country, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Monday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
USAID: Flaws Found in Iraq Contract Bids: "The bidding on Iraqi postwar reconstruction contracts at the U.S. Agency for International Development is flawed, with the education contract essentially awarded without competition, an internal investigation concluded. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq's Most Dangerous City: "Attacks against American soldiers happen almost every night in the central Iraqi town of Fallujah, which has become the center of resistance to the U.S.-led occupation."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Execution tapes on sale: "Gruesome video tapes depicting executions of mostly Shia Muslims in the aftermath of the first Gulf War are being sold on the streets of Iraq. The BBC reports, "Some of the tapes show a man who appears to be Lieutenant General Ali Hassan al-Majid, a cousin of Saddam Hussein, better known as 'Chemical Ali,' killing people.""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Forum on U.S. foreign policy: "The Oakland, Calif.-based Independent Institute is holding a public forum on U.S. foreign policy titled "Preemptive War Strategy: A New U.S. Empire?" on June 25. If you're interested in hearing more about the libertarian critique of the war, you can sign up to attend the event at the institute website."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Monday, June 09, 2003
Pipeline leads to White House (9 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Expanding role of Defense Department spurs concerns -- Some say officials overstep bounds, limit other agencies (08 June O3) in Radio Free USA
Spies threaten Blair with 'smoking gun' over Iraq (8 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Not just lost vases: Tablets that may reveal El Nino secrets are feared lost in Iraq (9 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Turkish diplomat who saved Jews dies: "Selahattin Ulkumen, a Turkish diplomat who saved Jews on the Nazi-occupied island of Rhodes from being sent to concentration camps during World War II, has died. He was 89."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqis fear rise of clerics: "There is unease among secular Iraqis and Christians over the battle for Iraq's soul."
In BBC: War in Iraq
Expanding role of Defense Department spurs concerns -- Some say officials overstep bounds, limit other agencies (08 June O3) in Radio Free USA
Spies threaten Blair with 'smoking gun' over Iraq (8 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Not just lost vases: Tablets that may reveal El Nino secrets are feared lost in Iraq (9 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Turkish diplomat who saved Jews dies: "Selahattin Ulkumen, a Turkish diplomat who saved Jews on the Nazi-occupied island of Rhodes from being sent to concentration camps during World War II, has died. He was 89."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqis fear rise of clerics: "There is unease among secular Iraqis and Christians over the battle for Iraq's soul."
In BBC: War in Iraq
Abbas vows to engage militants in talks: "Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas on Monday defended himself against accusations that he was too conciliatory toward Israel, saying he has coordinated every move with Yasser Arafat."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. soldier killed at Iraqi checkpoint: "Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a U.S. soldier at a checkpoint in western Iraq, a military statement said Monday. U.S. troops returned fire, killing one person and capturing a second."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. soldier killed at Iraqi checkpoint: "Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a U.S. soldier at a checkpoint in western Iraq, a military statement said Monday. U.S. troops returned fire, killing one person and capturing a second."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US soldier killed at Iraq checkpoint
Ananova: War In Iraq: "A US soldier has been killed by gunmen at a checkpoint near the Syrian border in western Iraq."
Ananova: War In Iraq: "A US soldier has been killed by gunmen at a checkpoint near the Syrian border in western Iraq."
War Blogs Iraq War Updates
Clashes kill 5 Israelies, 5 Palestinians: "Violence threatened to bury yet another Mideast peace plan after five Israeli soldiers and five Palestinian attackers died, as militants used arms to show that the U.S.-backed "road map" to peace will not unfold quietly."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqi book on war mixes myth, rumors: "The Americans dropped a "tactical nuclear bomb" on Iraqi forces. Saddam Hussein made a final radio broadcast hours after Baghdad fell, pausing three times to stop himself from breaking down on the air. And casualties among U.S.-led coalition forces? Twenty thousand dead."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
3ID PATROL ENGAGED BY SMALL ARMS FIRE FROM MOSQUE in CENTCOM: News Release
IRAQ WEAPONS POLICY AMNESTY PERIOD FINISHES FIRST WEEK in CENTCOM: News Release
U.S. SOLDIER KILLED IN MEDICAL RUSE AT AL QAIM CHECKPOINT in CENTCOM: News Release
COALITION RESPONDS TO FICTIONAL AL SA'AH NEWSPAPER ARTICLE in CENTCOM: News Release
WEAPONS POLICY AMNESTY PERIOD - ARABIC VERSION in CENTCOM: News Release
Powell: Varied U.S. role on Palestinians: "The United States, eager to put the Palestinian Authority on the fast track to good governance, will be closely involved in developing police capabilities and revitalizing the moribund economy of the territories, Secretary of State Colin Powell says."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
WMD Debate Still Sizzling: "As Bush administration officials flatly deny allegations the CIA was pressured to give evidence supporting the war in Iraq, a top Blair advisor offered a near-apology to Britain?s secret service for releasing dubious intelligence ahead of the war."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
What do they know that we don't?: "After weeks of seeming to back-pedal away from its earlier, extremely questionable, claims about Iraq's alleged nuclear, chemical and biological arsenal, the Bush White House came out Sunday with a mysterious new assurance that something will be found.
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said on "Meet the Press" she is confident there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that "we will find them". Also Sunday, Secretary of State Colin Powell announced, "We are sending in an Iraqi Survey Group of 1,300 people, who will be looking in all the places. They will be exploiting all the documents. They will be interviewing people."
Maybe while they're at it, they can find all those looted cultural artifacts."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Thank goodness for PBS and Fox News: "A Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) study of U.S. network newscasts found that in the three weeks after the bombing of Baghdad began, "Nearly two thirds of all sources, 64 percent, were pro-war, while 71 percent of U.S. guests favored the war. Anti-war voices were 10 percent of all sources, but just 6 percent of non-Iraqi sources and 3 percent of U.S. sources. Thus viewers were more than six times as likely to see a pro-war source as one who was anti-war; with U.S. guests alone, the ratio increases to 25 to 1."
Also, "Of a total of 840 U.S. sources who are current or former government or military officials, only four were identified as holding anti-war opinions - Sen. Robert Byrd (D.-W.V.), Rep. Pete Stark (D.-Calif.) and two appearances by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D.-Ohio). Byrd was featured on PBS, with Stark and Kucinich appearing on Fox News.""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Clashes kill 5 Israelies, 5 Palestinians: "Violence threatened to bury yet another Mideast peace plan after five Israeli soldiers and five Palestinian attackers died, as militants used arms to show that the U.S.-backed "road map" to peace will not unfold quietly."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqi book on war mixes myth, rumors: "The Americans dropped a "tactical nuclear bomb" on Iraqi forces. Saddam Hussein made a final radio broadcast hours after Baghdad fell, pausing three times to stop himself from breaking down on the air. And casualties among U.S.-led coalition forces? Twenty thousand dead."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
3ID PATROL ENGAGED BY SMALL ARMS FIRE FROM MOSQUE in CENTCOM: News Release
IRAQ WEAPONS POLICY AMNESTY PERIOD FINISHES FIRST WEEK in CENTCOM: News Release
U.S. SOLDIER KILLED IN MEDICAL RUSE AT AL QAIM CHECKPOINT in CENTCOM: News Release
COALITION RESPONDS TO FICTIONAL AL SA'AH NEWSPAPER ARTICLE in CENTCOM: News Release
WEAPONS POLICY AMNESTY PERIOD - ARABIC VERSION in CENTCOM: News Release
Powell: Varied U.S. role on Palestinians: "The United States, eager to put the Palestinian Authority on the fast track to good governance, will be closely involved in developing police capabilities and revitalizing the moribund economy of the territories, Secretary of State Colin Powell says."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
WMD Debate Still Sizzling: "As Bush administration officials flatly deny allegations the CIA was pressured to give evidence supporting the war in Iraq, a top Blair advisor offered a near-apology to Britain?s secret service for releasing dubious intelligence ahead of the war."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
What do they know that we don't?: "After weeks of seeming to back-pedal away from its earlier, extremely questionable, claims about Iraq's alleged nuclear, chemical and biological arsenal, the Bush White House came out Sunday with a mysterious new assurance that something will be found.
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said on "Meet the Press" she is confident there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that "we will find them". Also Sunday, Secretary of State Colin Powell announced, "We are sending in an Iraqi Survey Group of 1,300 people, who will be looking in all the places. They will be exploiting all the documents. They will be interviewing people."
Maybe while they're at it, they can find all those looted cultural artifacts."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Thank goodness for PBS and Fox News: "A Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) study of U.S. network newscasts found that in the three weeks after the bombing of Baghdad began, "Nearly two thirds of all sources, 64 percent, were pro-war, while 71 percent of U.S. guests favored the war. Anti-war voices were 10 percent of all sources, but just 6 percent of non-Iraqi sources and 3 percent of U.S. sources. Thus viewers were more than six times as likely to see a pro-war source as one who was anti-war; with U.S. guests alone, the ratio increases to 25 to 1."
Also, "Of a total of 840 U.S. sources who are current or former government or military officials, only four were identified as holding anti-war opinions - Sen. Robert Byrd (D.-W.V.), Rep. Pete Stark (D.-Calif.) and two appearances by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D.-Ohio). Byrd was featured on PBS, with Stark and Kucinich appearing on Fox News.""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
U.S. Soldier Killed at Checkpoint in Iraq
From: spliffslips
SOLDIER KILLED IRAQ
--------------------
U.S. Soldier Killed at Checkpoint in Iraq
--------------------
By Associated Press
June 9, 2003, 5:08 AM EDT
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U.S. soldier was shot and killed by unidentified assailants at a checkpoint in western Iraq, a military statement said Monday.
An undetermined number of attackers pulled up late Sunday to the roadblock near the Syrian border and requested medical help for a person in the car. They then pulled pistols and shot the soldier, said a statement released by the U.S. Central Command.
Troops returned fire, killing one person and capturing a second. At least one other assailant fled in the vehicle.
The soldier's name was not released pending notification of his family.
The killing appeared to be part of an escalation of clashes between American troops and Iraqis in the central and western regions of the country. Dozens of soldiers and Iraqis have been killed or wounded in daily skirmishes.
A U.S. patrol in the troubles city of Fallujah came under fire from a mosque Monday. Soldiers did not return fire but arrested two suspects, Centcom said.
Fallujah, a Sunni Muslim stronghold about 30 miles west of Baghdad, has been the scene of almost constant clashes since U.S. troops shot dead 18 demonstrators and wounded 78 others in two confrontations in April. Residents have accused U.S. troops of regularly using excessive force and of not respecting Islamic practices.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-attack,0,7293326.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
SOLDIER KILLED IRAQ
--------------------
U.S. Soldier Killed at Checkpoint in Iraq
--------------------
By Associated Press
June 9, 2003, 5:08 AM EDT
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U.S. soldier was shot and killed by unidentified assailants at a checkpoint in western Iraq, a military statement said Monday.
An undetermined number of attackers pulled up late Sunday to the roadblock near the Syrian border and requested medical help for a person in the car. They then pulled pistols and shot the soldier, said a statement released by the U.S. Central Command.
Troops returned fire, killing one person and capturing a second. At least one other assailant fled in the vehicle.
The soldier's name was not released pending notification of his family.
The killing appeared to be part of an escalation of clashes between American troops and Iraqis in the central and western regions of the country. Dozens of soldiers and Iraqis have been killed or wounded in daily skirmishes.
A U.S. patrol in the troubles city of Fallujah came under fire from a mosque Monday. Soldiers did not return fire but arrested two suspects, Centcom said.
Fallujah, a Sunni Muslim stronghold about 30 miles west of Baghdad, has been the scene of almost constant clashes since U.S. troops shot dead 18 demonstrators and wounded 78 others in two confrontations in April. Residents have accused U.S. troops of regularly using excessive force and of not respecting Islamic practices.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-iraq-attack,0,7293326.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
U.N.: Health problems widespread in Iraq: "Nearly two months after the U.S.-led war to topple Saddam Hussein's government, relief agencies are still struggling to control widespread health problems aggravated by the conflict, U.N. officials said Sunday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
UN Nuclear Experts Check Iraq Research Site: "United Nations experts surveyed alooted storage facility at Iraq's main nuclear site on Sundayunder the watchful eyes of the U.S. military, which has placedtight limits on their activities in Iraq. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
UN Nuclear Experts Check Iraq Research Site: "United Nations experts surveyed alooted storage facility at Iraq's main nuclear site on Sundayunder the watchful eyes of the U.S. military, which has placedtight limits on their activities in Iraq. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Sunday, June 08, 2003
war blog Iraq War updates
And then the cry went up: 'Where are the French?' (8 June 03) in Radio Free USA
I was shocked by poor weapons intelligence -- Blix (07 June 03) in Radio Free USA
NO RELEASE in CENTCOM: News Release
Iraq Democracy Watch: "In search of a justice system
A recent UN humanitarian briefing had some encouraging news: security in Baghdad is improving.
And according to the Guardian , "The number of US troops in Baghdad has been significantly increased in the past fortnight and the number of military police has been doubled."
More work still needs to be done, though, as evidenced in a Middle East Online report saying that, "In the absence of companies that provide security guards, businessmen have to settle for generally lightly armed vigilantes who watch over their premises around the clock. Gangs of looters continue to roam the streets while the bulk of the population goes home early ahead of the nightly curfew in force from 11:00 pm ..."
I've mentioned before the spectre of "a hybrid economy operating with different levels of protection, including home-grown mafia..." Clearly, this sort of thing is already beginning to evolve.
Human Rights Watch issued a report on security in Basra recently that helps put the current security issues in context. Key points include:
-- "The reconstitution of an effective legal system in Iraq is even farther behind than the regeneration of a police force. ... It remains unclear how and when a proper legal system will be implemented in Iraq."
-- Attempts to create a local police force have proceded "with little or no guidance or coordination at the national level"
-- "As of the time of writing, local courts were only tentatively being reconstituted in al-?Amara, and were not yet operational in other cities in southern Iraq."
-- "The persistent looting and lawlessness in Basra and across the south of Iraq is aggravated by the inability of coalition forces to prosecute and imprison criminals systematically."
-- "To add to the general confusion and lack of coordination, British and U.S. forces in southern Iraq are not using the same legal process for detaining people."
Remember that the Shi'ite clergy has set up a de facto judicial system... although that's not necessarily enough for foreign businesses wanting to set up shop in Iraq. A Jordan Times article assesses risks and benefits for Jordanian businesses investing in Iraq, summarizing the former by saying that, "companies investing in Iraq or trying to do business there will be working in a country that lacks constitutional and legal framework."
So, it seems as though the lack of a state-aligned judicial and legal system is a key logjam for both increased investment in Iraq, and the ultimate reduction of looting and lawlessness.
Whether the occupation authority (CPA) agrees with this analysis is an entirely different question, given all the infighting about our deciding to appoint delegates to a constitutional council, rather than having Iraqis elect them.
After reading a Washington Times quote of a CPA official, I am wondering about the capability of those folks to make effective analyses. "The CPA official said that people will not be able to focus on the political process until basic utilities are restored and law and order can be enforced, providing a sense of stability again."
Question: what methods does the CPA use to evaluate the Iraqis' ability to focus?
Any chance that racism is influencing any of our decisions over there? Just curious."
Iraq Museum to Reopen Displaying Lost Treasure: "Baghdad's famed antiquities museum,ransacked by looters as Saddam Hussein's rule crumbled, willreopen next month after many of the treasures feared lostforever were found stashed in secret vaults around the city. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
UNICEF Worried by Health Risks to Iraqi Children: "Iraqi children are suffering alarminglyhigh rates of diarrhea and related diseases, a spokesman forthe U.N. children's agency UNICEF said Sunday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Remains of Kuwaiti POW found in Iraq: minister: "The remains of a Kuwaiti prisoner of war have been found in a mass grave in southern Iraq, a Kuwaiti minister said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
And then the cry went up: 'Where are the French?' (8 June 03) in Radio Free USA
I was shocked by poor weapons intelligence -- Blix (07 June 03) in Radio Free USA
NO RELEASE in CENTCOM: News Release
Iraq Democracy Watch: "In search of a justice system
A recent UN humanitarian briefing had some encouraging news: security in Baghdad is improving.
And according to the Guardian , "The number of US troops in Baghdad has been significantly increased in the past fortnight and the number of military police has been doubled."
More work still needs to be done, though, as evidenced in a Middle East Online report saying that, "In the absence of companies that provide security guards, businessmen have to settle for generally lightly armed vigilantes who watch over their premises around the clock. Gangs of looters continue to roam the streets while the bulk of the population goes home early ahead of the nightly curfew in force from 11:00 pm ..."
I've mentioned before the spectre of "a hybrid economy operating with different levels of protection, including home-grown mafia..." Clearly, this sort of thing is already beginning to evolve.
Human Rights Watch issued a report on security in Basra recently that helps put the current security issues in context. Key points include:
-- "The reconstitution of an effective legal system in Iraq is even farther behind than the regeneration of a police force. ... It remains unclear how and when a proper legal system will be implemented in Iraq."
-- Attempts to create a local police force have proceded "with little or no guidance or coordination at the national level"
-- "As of the time of writing, local courts were only tentatively being reconstituted in al-?Amara, and were not yet operational in other cities in southern Iraq."
-- "The persistent looting and lawlessness in Basra and across the south of Iraq is aggravated by the inability of coalition forces to prosecute and imprison criminals systematically."
-- "To add to the general confusion and lack of coordination, British and U.S. forces in southern Iraq are not using the same legal process for detaining people."
Remember that the Shi'ite clergy has set up a de facto judicial system... although that's not necessarily enough for foreign businesses wanting to set up shop in Iraq. A Jordan Times article assesses risks and benefits for Jordanian businesses investing in Iraq, summarizing the former by saying that, "companies investing in Iraq or trying to do business there will be working in a country that lacks constitutional and legal framework."
So, it seems as though the lack of a state-aligned judicial and legal system is a key logjam for both increased investment in Iraq, and the ultimate reduction of looting and lawlessness.
Whether the occupation authority (CPA) agrees with this analysis is an entirely different question, given all the infighting about our deciding to appoint delegates to a constitutional council, rather than having Iraqis elect them.
After reading a Washington Times quote of a CPA official, I am wondering about the capability of those folks to make effective analyses. "The CPA official said that people will not be able to focus on the political process until basic utilities are restored and law and order can be enforced, providing a sense of stability again."
Question: what methods does the CPA use to evaluate the Iraqis' ability to focus?
Any chance that racism is influencing any of our decisions over there? Just curious."
Iraq Museum to Reopen Displaying Lost Treasure: "Baghdad's famed antiquities museum,ransacked by looters as Saddam Hussein's rule crumbled, willreopen next month after many of the treasures feared lostforever were found stashed in secret vaults around the city. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
UNICEF Worried by Health Risks to Iraqi Children: "Iraqi children are suffering alarminglyhigh rates of diarrhea and related diseases, a spokesman forthe U.N. children's agency UNICEF said Sunday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Remains of Kuwaiti POW found in Iraq: minister: "The remains of a Kuwaiti prisoner of war have been found in a mass grave in southern Iraq, a Kuwaiti minister said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
COALITION EFFORTS AID IRAQ'S RECOVERY (JUNE 8, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
Campbell reassures MI6 over 'dodgy dossier': "Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell has reassured the intelligence services that the Government would take "far greater care" in using their material following the "dodgy dossier" on Iraq."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
4 Israelis killed at army post shooting: "Three Palestinians disguised as Israeli soldiers sneaked into an army post Sunday and killed four Israelis before being killed by troops, the first deadly attack since last week's Mideast summit."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqi killed in clash with US troops: "An Iraqi civilian was killed by U.S. troops during an ambush in the troubled city of Fallujah, the military said Sunday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Dutch To Send 1,100 Peacekeepers To Iraq: "From the Tri-City Herald / AP :
In Command Post: Irak
Most Iraqi Treasures Recovered: "From WaPo :
In Command Post: Irak
Campbell reassures MI6 over 'dodgy dossier': "Downing Street communications chief Alastair Campbell has reassured the intelligence services that the Government would take "far greater care" in using their material following the "dodgy dossier" on Iraq."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
4 Israelis killed at army post shooting: "Three Palestinians disguised as Israeli soldiers sneaked into an army post Sunday and killed four Israelis before being killed by troops, the first deadly attack since last week's Mideast summit."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqi killed in clash with US troops: "An Iraqi civilian was killed by U.S. troops during an ambush in the troubled city of Fallujah, the military said Sunday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Dutch To Send 1,100 Peacekeepers To Iraq: "From the Tri-City Herald / AP :
The Netherlands will send 1,100 peacekeepers to southern Iraq to join the British-led multinational stabilization force, the Dutch government said.Of course, here at TCP we've benefited from Dutch assistance, in the form of Oskar , since the beginning."
The Cabinet decided Friday to contribute a battalion of marines under a U.N. Security Council resolution, according to a Foreign Ministry statement posted on its Web site.
In Command Post: Irak
Most Iraqi Treasures Recovered: "From WaPo :
Reports describing the looting of Iraq's archaeological treasures from the national museum were exaggerated, and most of the precious inscribed tablets, gold jewelry and artwork dating from the birth of civilization have been recovered, a team of U.S. investigators said today."
The biggest prize so far was the discovery this week of the world-famous treasures of Nimrud, which had been hidden for the last decade in a secret vault beneath the ransacked Central Bank in Baghdad ...
... Initial estimates after the war ended in April suggested that as many as 170,000 pieces, including the Nimrud treasures, were lost or stolen during the sacking of the museum, according to U.S. officials. They now say 3,000 pieces remain unaccounted for and may have disappeared into the shadowy world of black market antiquities trading.
In Command Post: Irak
Saturday, June 07, 2003
Striking it poor: oil as a curse (7 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Iraqi sceptics turn optimist over new political talks: "The US-led coalition's relaunch of talks on Iraq's political future was off to a good start after even critics said they believe they can reach a deal to set up an interim administration within six weeks. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi sceptics turn optimist over new political talks: "The US-led coalition's relaunch of talks on Iraq's political future was off to a good start after even critics said they believe they can reach a deal to set up an interim administration within six weeks. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Did liberal-bashers cost Garofalo her sitcom? (05 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Congo: Militias battle for east Congo town of Bunia (7 June 03) in Radio Free USA
US redeploys its troops to cover 'arc of instability' (7 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Some analysts of Iraq trailers reject germ use (7 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Iraqi sceptics turn optimist over new political talks: "The US-led coalition's relaunch of talks on Iraq's political future was off to a good start after even critics said they believe they can reach a deal to set up an interim administration within six weeks. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Congo: Militias battle for east Congo town of Bunia (7 June 03) in Radio Free USA
US redeploys its troops to cover 'arc of instability' (7 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Some analysts of Iraq trailers reject germ use (7 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Iraqi sceptics turn optimist over new political talks: "The US-led coalition's relaunch of talks on Iraq's political future was off to a good start after even critics said they believe they can reach a deal to set up an interim administration within six weeks. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Name that country...
From the Boston Globe :
''We think the security situation is deteriorating,'' said Paul O'Brien, advocacy coordinator for CARE International. ''We are concerned that the Pentagon's statement that they are now in a phase of stabilization would be interpreted as a declaration of victory, and we believe that would be premature.''
And the answer is.... Afghanistan."
Shiite group opposes U.S.-picked government in CNN - War in Iraq
US-led coalition detains Iraqi former deputy police commander: "The US-led administration in Iraq announced it had arrested the former deputy commander of the Iraqi police on suspicion of corruption, intimidation, and attempting to reorganize Saddam Hussein's Baath party in the reformed Iraqi police. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
ONE SOLDIER KILLED, TWO INJURED IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT in CENTCOM: News Release
From the Boston Globe :
''We think the security situation is deteriorating,'' said Paul O'Brien, advocacy coordinator for CARE International. ''We are concerned that the Pentagon's statement that they are now in a phase of stabilization would be interpreted as a declaration of victory, and we believe that would be premature.''
And the answer is.... Afghanistan."
Shiite group opposes U.S.-picked government in CNN - War in Iraq
US-led coalition detains Iraqi former deputy police commander: "The US-led administration in Iraq announced it had arrested the former deputy commander of the Iraqi police on suspicion of corruption, intimidation, and attempting to reorganize Saddam Hussein's Baath party in the reformed Iraqi police. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
ONE SOLDIER KILLED, TWO INJURED IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT in CENTCOM: News Release
ISAF FORCES ATTACKED IN KABUL in CENTCOM: News Release
COALITION EFFORTS AID IRAQ'S RECOVERY (JUNE 7, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
Hamas protests summit as it cuts talks: "Thousands of Hamas supporters demonstrated against Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' peace efforts as leaders of the militant group said they were pulling out of talks with Palestinian officials aimed at ending attacks on Israelis."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq - eight weeks on: "The new US administrator in Iraq faces tough challenges, writes Roger Hardy."
In BBC: War in Iraq
UN arms inspectors arrive in Baghdad as weapons debate widens: "United Nations' nuclear experts arrived in Baghdad to visit a plundered nuclear plant, as the debate over Saddam Hussein's alleged banned weapons of mass destruction widened further. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Justice Dept. bans event by gay staff (05 June 03) in Radio Free USA
On the Road to Falluja: "An attempt to end the attacks against American troops became an excursion into the complex politics of postwar Iraq."
In New York Times: World Special
COALITION EFFORTS AID IRAQ'S RECOVERY (JUNE 7, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
Hamas protests summit as it cuts talks: "Thousands of Hamas supporters demonstrated against Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' peace efforts as leaders of the militant group said they were pulling out of talks with Palestinian officials aimed at ending attacks on Israelis."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq - eight weeks on: "The new US administrator in Iraq faces tough challenges, writes Roger Hardy."
In BBC: War in Iraq
UN arms inspectors arrive in Baghdad as weapons debate widens: "United Nations' nuclear experts arrived in Baghdad to visit a plundered nuclear plant, as the debate over Saddam Hussein's alleged banned weapons of mass destruction widened further. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Justice Dept. bans event by gay staff (05 June 03) in Radio Free USA
On the Road to Falluja: "An attempt to end the attacks against American troops became an excursion into the complex politics of postwar Iraq."
In New York Times: World Special
Friday, June 06, 2003
War Blog Iraq War Updates
Blix attacks Blair warnings over Iraqi weapons in IraqWar.ru (English)
Debate on Iraq?s Missing Weapons in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam search returns to bomb site in IraqWar.ru (English)
UK soldier held in Iraq over child porn in IraqWar.ru (English)
US intervenes to aid Blair over Iraq arms doubts in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush tells troops war on Iraq was justified in IraqWar.ru (English)
Qatar Airways to launch services to Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Should India send peacekeeping force to Iraq? in IraqWar.ru (English)
Grenade Kills U.S. Soldier in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. triples its occupying troops in two Iraqi towns to stifle attacks in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush vows defense of Taipei in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. Troops Attacked Again In Central Iraq: "From WISN / AP :
In Command Post: Irak
Iraq Democracy Watch: ""Time to play hardball"
... at least according to an advisor to Massoud Barzani, a leader of the KDP and member of the "G7" leadership council. The Boston Globe summarizes the meeting between Barzani and Ayatollah Muhammad Bakr al-Hakim (another "G7" member), "in a symbolic, and potentially formidable, challenge to the US-led occupation authorities' plan to appoint an interim national government."
Barzani was busy yesterday. The NYT reports on a separate meeting he had with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sestani, who has been keeping a low political profile, and yet who is also one of the most respected Shi'ite leaders in the world. The fact that Al-Sestani even met with Barzani, when the former has all but said in the past that clerics should stay out of politics, says a lot. So does the fact that he now seems to be viewing the American presence as "... an occupation, not a liberation, as the people have been told..."
What we have to remember is that these are the moderates. Not Ba'athists or militants. I feel a bit like Cassandra, here, but it's a really, really bad sign when you start alienating the moderates.
Speaking of alienating people, the Christian Science Monitor reported yesterday on some of the specific threats coming from Iraqi ex-military officers. These are men who claim to have deliberately chosen not to fight American forces in order to ensure the fall of Hussein. They're out of work, now, and are clamoring for a reversal of the policy that prevents them from being rehired. And if not? "By next Monday, if we don't have results, we will form a new Iraqi army, called the Armed Front Against the Occupation..."
This could be bad, given that the Washington Post quotes an unnamed "senior Pentagon official" as saying that he has not seen the army stretched this thin in his 31 years of military service.
We don't seem to be operating in much of a spirit of dialogue and negotiation. Would it be so bad to pay off the military officers for the time being, without rehiring them? Would it be so bad to go ahead and have a conference that would work on setting up a constitution? To let the UN have a larger role, including peacekeeping?
This lack of creativity and flexibility in our policy reminds me of a comment I made some time ago when Bremer was first hired: he has a reputation as an ideologue. And he seems to be reflecting the equally ideological views of his employers -- the ones who dislodged Garner, Bremer's predecessor."
Blix attacks Blair warnings over Iraqi weapons in IraqWar.ru (English)
Debate on Iraq?s Missing Weapons in IraqWar.ru (English)
Saddam search returns to bomb site in IraqWar.ru (English)
UK soldier held in Iraq over child porn in IraqWar.ru (English)
US intervenes to aid Blair over Iraq arms doubts in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush tells troops war on Iraq was justified in IraqWar.ru (English)
Qatar Airways to launch services to Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Should India send peacekeeping force to Iraq? in IraqWar.ru (English)
Grenade Kills U.S. Soldier in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. triples its occupying troops in two Iraqi towns to stifle attacks in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush vows defense of Taipei in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. Troops Attacked Again In Central Iraq: "From WISN / AP :
The hit-and-run attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq continue with a firefight near an air base west of Baghdad."
Unidentified assailants fired rocket-propelled grenades and small arms at a U.S. patrol, including an M1A1 Abrams tank and a military police Humvee. The tank wasn't damaged, but the Humvee had numerous bullet holes in it. Soldiers returned fire, but there were no reports of casualties on either side ...
... Meanwhile, U.S. military sources say that two soldiers guarding a bank in downtown Baghdad were wounded Thursday when two men with pistols opened fire on them. The sentries returned fire and killed one of the attackers, while the other managed to flee.
In Command Post: Irak
Iraq Democracy Watch: ""Time to play hardball"
... at least according to an advisor to Massoud Barzani, a leader of the KDP and member of the "G7" leadership council. The Boston Globe summarizes the meeting between Barzani and Ayatollah Muhammad Bakr al-Hakim (another "G7" member), "in a symbolic, and potentially formidable, challenge to the US-led occupation authorities' plan to appoint an interim national government."
Barzani was busy yesterday. The NYT reports on a separate meeting he had with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sestani, who has been keeping a low political profile, and yet who is also one of the most respected Shi'ite leaders in the world. The fact that Al-Sestani even met with Barzani, when the former has all but said in the past that clerics should stay out of politics, says a lot. So does the fact that he now seems to be viewing the American presence as "... an occupation, not a liberation, as the people have been told..."
What we have to remember is that these are the moderates. Not Ba'athists or militants. I feel a bit like Cassandra, here, but it's a really, really bad sign when you start alienating the moderates.
Speaking of alienating people, the Christian Science Monitor reported yesterday on some of the specific threats coming from Iraqi ex-military officers. These are men who claim to have deliberately chosen not to fight American forces in order to ensure the fall of Hussein. They're out of work, now, and are clamoring for a reversal of the policy that prevents them from being rehired. And if not? "By next Monday, if we don't have results, we will form a new Iraqi army, called the Armed Front Against the Occupation..."
This could be bad, given that the Washington Post quotes an unnamed "senior Pentagon official" as saying that he has not seen the army stretched this thin in his 31 years of military service.
We don't seem to be operating in much of a spirit of dialogue and negotiation. Would it be so bad to pay off the military officers for the time being, without rehiring them? Would it be so bad to go ahead and have a conference that would work on setting up a constitution? To let the UN have a larger role, including peacekeeping?
This lack of creativity and flexibility in our policy reminds me of a comment I made some time ago when Bremer was first hired: he has a reputation as an ideologue. And he seems to be reflecting the equally ideological views of his employers -- the ones who dislodged Garner, Bremer's predecessor."
Blix casts doubt on credibility of US-British weapons inspectors: "Chief UN arms inspector Hans Blix cast doubt on the authority of the US-British experts searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Hamas leader says group won't join talks: "A senior Hamas official said Friday the militant group is breaking off talks with the Palestinian prime minister on halting attacks on Israelis, a surprise reversal that throws into doubt a key component of a U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Nuclear inspectors head to Iraq in BBC: War in Iraq
Iraq soldier arrested over child porn: "The Ministry of Defence says a British soldier in Iraq has been arrested after child porn images were discovered."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Debate on Iraq's weapons widens as Blix questions arms searches: "The debate over Saddam Hussein's alleged banned weapons of mass destruction widened, after the top UN arms inspector questioned the credibility of coalition experts searching for them, as occupation forces struggled to control Iraq's growing unrest. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. to Assess Looted Iraqi Nuclear Plant: "A small team of U.N. nuclear experts was traveling to Baghdad on Friday to begin a damage assessment at Iraq's largest nuclear facility, left unguarded by U.S. troops during the early days of the war and then pillaged by villagers. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Finds Material at Iraqi Nuclear Site: "U.S. defense officials say they found more radioactive material at a looted Iraqi nuclear site than they expected, raising questions about the reliability of prewar intelligence about the site. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Hamas leader says group won't join talks: "A senior Hamas official said Friday the militant group is breaking off talks with the Palestinian prime minister on halting attacks on Israelis, a surprise reversal that throws into doubt a key component of a U.S.-backed Mideast peace plan."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Nuclear inspectors head to Iraq in BBC: War in Iraq
Iraq soldier arrested over child porn: "The Ministry of Defence says a British soldier in Iraq has been arrested after child porn images were discovered."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Debate on Iraq's weapons widens as Blix questions arms searches: "The debate over Saddam Hussein's alleged banned weapons of mass destruction widened, after the top UN arms inspector questioned the credibility of coalition experts searching for them, as occupation forces struggled to control Iraq's growing unrest. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. to Assess Looted Iraqi Nuclear Plant: "A small team of U.N. nuclear experts was traveling to Baghdad on Friday to begin a damage assessment at Iraq's largest nuclear facility, left unguarded by U.S. troops during the early days of the war and then pillaged by villagers. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Finds Material at Iraqi Nuclear Site: "U.S. defense officials say they found more radioactive material at a looted Iraqi nuclear site than they expected, raising questions about the reliability of prewar intelligence about the site. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Thursday, June 05, 2003
WE DON'T CARE: " (Ann Coulter)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
CIA bullied by Cheney and Co.: "Senior CIA analysts have told the Washington Post that they felt pressured to come up with right kind of intelligence during repeated visits to Langley by Dick Cheney and his chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. The men "sent signals, intended or otherwise, that a certain output was desired from here." Continue »"
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Possible Iraqi nuclear barrels recovered: "American forces have gathered more than 100 metal barrels and five radiological devices which Iraqis may have looted from the country's largest nuclear storage site, Pentagon officails said Thursday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Political leaders resisting U.S. plan to govern Iraq (05 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Blix delivers last arms report in BBC: War in Iraq
Dossier 'sent back six times' in BBC: War in Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
CIA bullied by Cheney and Co.: "Senior CIA analysts have told the Washington Post that they felt pressured to come up with right kind of intelligence during repeated visits to Langley by Dick Cheney and his chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. The men "sent signals, intended or otherwise, that a certain output was desired from here." Continue »"
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Possible Iraqi nuclear barrels recovered: "American forces have gathered more than 100 metal barrels and five radiological devices which Iraqis may have looted from the country's largest nuclear storage site, Pentagon officails said Thursday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Political leaders resisting U.S. plan to govern Iraq (05 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Blix delivers last arms report in BBC: War in Iraq
Dossier 'sent back six times' in BBC: War in Iraq
Mass Graves of Children Found - Horrifying Missing Detail: "An additional note to add to the earlier story about the mass grave with 200 children in it. From Kurdish Media :
They... were... buried... alive.
(Hat tip to Meryl Yourish )"
In Command Post: Irak
Arafat criticizes Mideast peace summit: "Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who was kept from a U.S.-sponsored Mideast summit in Jordan, criticized the gathering and said Thursday that the Palestinians emerged without achievements."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Bush pledges Iraq arms hunt will continue: "President Bush defended the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq on Thursday and pledged that "we'll reveal the truth" on Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. He surveyed Baghdad from Air Force One as he flew back to Washington."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. soldier killed in Iraq attack in CNN - War in Iraq
"Citizens were discovered on May 30, 2003, in a communal grave close to Debs, in Kirkuk. However, this mass grave was different from other mass graves discovered since the fall of Saddam Hussein?s terrorist regime since it contained the remains of 200 babies, victims of the repression of the Kurdish uprising in 1991," Al-Taakhi noted. "Even the dolls were buried with the children," it added.
It is believed that the babies were buried alive . It was also reported in the local media that an adult female person had also been found in the mass grave. It was suggested that she could have been their minder.
They... were... buried... alive.
(Hat tip to Meryl Yourish )"
In Command Post: Irak
Arafat criticizes Mideast peace summit: "Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who was kept from a U.S.-sponsored Mideast summit in Jordan, criticized the gathering and said Thursday that the Palestinians emerged without achievements."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Bush pledges Iraq arms hunt will continue: "President Bush defended the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq on Thursday and pledged that "we'll reveal the truth" on Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. He surveyed Baghdad from Air Force One as he flew back to Washington."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. soldier killed in Iraq attack in CNN - War in Iraq
THEY NEED US NOW MORE THAN EVER
War Blog War Iraq Updates
Simpson berates 'trigger-happy' troops in IraqWar.ru (English)
Weapons hunt as row goes on in BBC: War in Iraq
US soldier killed in Iraq attack in BBC: War in Iraq
Effort to revive Iraqi agriculture in BBC: War in Iraq
'Iraq intelligence probe will take too long' in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. plans for interim council face growing resistance in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Bremer vs. "The Iraqis"
That's what this unfolding story is turning out to be, with "the Iraqis" referring to the favored "G7" leaders who have been privy to a close relationship with Mr. Bremer in discussions about the future government. (Mind you, there are at least 70 new political parties in Iraq, now.)
The NYT summarizes the split:
The Asia Times Online comments that the new UN representative in Iraq, Vieira de Mello, "would ... be free to 'contact Iraqi political forces', without having to wait for an OK from proconsul Bremer..." The author goes on to speculate that Bremer may be betting on the deep divisions of the G7 and others to reveal themselves in any independent council. If Mr. de Mello risks throwing his support behind the council, he could be discredited.
So, the palace intrigue takes a higher pitch, with Mr. Bremer looking more and more like the old-style British imperial governor as each day passes -- trying as best he can to install a governing body that looks Iraqi but speaks American. Too bad there's so much else to do in the country. And good thing the UN and all of those selfless NGO's are there, since malnutrition has doubled since the war."
Simpson berates 'trigger-happy' troops in IraqWar.ru (English)
Weapons hunt as row goes on in BBC: War in Iraq
US soldier killed in Iraq attack in BBC: War in Iraq
Effort to revive Iraqi agriculture in BBC: War in Iraq
'Iraq intelligence probe will take too long' in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. plans for interim council face growing resistance in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Bremer vs. "The Iraqis"
That's what this unfolding story is turning out to be, with "the Iraqis" referring to the favored "G7" leaders who have been privy to a close relationship with Mr. Bremer in discussions about the future government. (Mind you, there are at least 70 new political parties in Iraq, now.)
The NYT summarizes the split:
The Iraqi political leaders say they will press Mr. Bremer on Friday to call a national conference of delegates broadly selected from across Iraq and to seek its guidance on forming a government. [But] Mr. Bremer has made clear that he does not support a provisional Iraqi government, at least for the foreseeable future. Instead, he has been seeking to put more of an Iraqi face on the occupation authority...
The Asia Times Online comments that the new UN representative in Iraq, Vieira de Mello, "would ... be free to 'contact Iraqi political forces', without having to wait for an OK from proconsul Bremer..." The author goes on to speculate that Bremer may be betting on the deep divisions of the G7 and others to reveal themselves in any independent council. If Mr. de Mello risks throwing his support behind the council, he could be discredited.
So, the palace intrigue takes a higher pitch, with Mr. Bremer looking more and more like the old-style British imperial governor as each day passes -- trying as best he can to install a governing body that looks Iraqi but speaks American. Too bad there's so much else to do in the country. And good thing the UN and all of those selfless NGO's are there, since malnutrition has doubled since the war."
War Blogs Iraq War Updates
The Niger connection: Tony Blair, forged documents and the case for war (5 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Army returns to airstrike site to look for Saddam: "BAGHDAD -- Nearly two months after a house where Saddam Hussein was thought to be hiding was bombed, Army engineers used bulldozers and backhoes Wednesday to look for evidence that he might have been killed in the strike. (USA TODAY)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. forces nab Iraqi militia commander: "U.S. forces are holding Lt. Gen. Iyad Futiyeh al-Rawi, who commanded a mass militia force that supposedly included millions of volunteer fighters, a military statement said Thursday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israelis, Palestinians take first steps: "Israel and the Palestinians took tentative steps toward meeting their first obligations under a peace plan Thursday, a day after affirming their commitment to the three-phase document at a U.S.-sponsored Mideast summit."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. soldier killed, five wounded in Iraq: "An American soldier was killed and five were wounded early Thursday when they were hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, the U.S. military said - the latest attack in a tense city where resistance against American occupation has been vocal and sometimes violent."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Arafat remains in charge of Palestinianss: "While Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas flew around the region in recent days, meeting with Arab leaders, President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Yasser Arafat sat in his mostly destroyed office - directing his premier every step of the way."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.N. nuke experts in Kuwait head for Iraq: "Experts from the U.N. nuclear watchdog have arrived in the Middle East on their way to inspect Iraq's largest nuclear complex in the wake of postwar looting."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saddam's cousin arrives in UK: "The cousin of Saddam Hussein has landed in Britain, airport officials have confirmed."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
US soldier killed as Bush vows to find Saddam's weapons: "US President George W. Bush vowed to find Saddam Hussein's alleged arms of mass destruction, as a US soldier was killed in an Iraqi hotspot town a day after reinforcements were ordered to the area. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US Radio Asks Iraqis to Join Quest for Banned Arms: "Baghdad's U.S.-run radio station urgedIraqis on Thursday to come forward with information on weaponsof mass destruction, whose existence remains in doubt eightweeks after Saddam Hussein's fall. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
UN Council Mulls Future of Iraq Arms Inspections: "As the United States and Britaintry to explain why they have not found unconventional weaponsin Iraq, chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix wants the SecurityCouncil to utilize a decade of arms research and allow U.N.experts to finish the job. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush vows to 'reveal the truth' about weapons: "George W Bush has argued the US-led invasion of Iraq was justified and pledged to "reveal the truth" about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Bush vows to ride herd on Mideast foes: "In his first diplomatic venture in the Middle East, President Bush drew promises of peacemaking from Israel and the Palestinians, and said he intends to ride herd on both sides if they falter."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Blix: U.N. inspectors are ready for Iraq: "Chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix has said his search teams are ready to return to Iraq to pursue new leads and try to answer outstanding questions about Saddam Hussein's programs for weapons of mass destruction - but the United States doesn't want their help."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
The Niger connection: Tony Blair, forged documents and the case for war (5 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Army returns to airstrike site to look for Saddam: "BAGHDAD -- Nearly two months after a house where Saddam Hussein was thought to be hiding was bombed, Army engineers used bulldozers and backhoes Wednesday to look for evidence that he might have been killed in the strike. (USA TODAY)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. forces nab Iraqi militia commander: "U.S. forces are holding Lt. Gen. Iyad Futiyeh al-Rawi, who commanded a mass militia force that supposedly included millions of volunteer fighters, a military statement said Thursday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israelis, Palestinians take first steps: "Israel and the Palestinians took tentative steps toward meeting their first obligations under a peace plan Thursday, a day after affirming their commitment to the three-phase document at a U.S.-sponsored Mideast summit."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. soldier killed, five wounded in Iraq: "An American soldier was killed and five were wounded early Thursday when they were hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, the U.S. military said - the latest attack in a tense city where resistance against American occupation has been vocal and sometimes violent."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Arafat remains in charge of Palestinianss: "While Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas flew around the region in recent days, meeting with Arab leaders, President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Yasser Arafat sat in his mostly destroyed office - directing his premier every step of the way."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.N. nuke experts in Kuwait head for Iraq: "Experts from the U.N. nuclear watchdog have arrived in the Middle East on their way to inspect Iraq's largest nuclear complex in the wake of postwar looting."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saddam's cousin arrives in UK: "The cousin of Saddam Hussein has landed in Britain, airport officials have confirmed."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
US soldier killed as Bush vows to find Saddam's weapons: "US President George W. Bush vowed to find Saddam Hussein's alleged arms of mass destruction, as a US soldier was killed in an Iraqi hotspot town a day after reinforcements were ordered to the area. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US Radio Asks Iraqis to Join Quest for Banned Arms: "Baghdad's U.S.-run radio station urgedIraqis on Thursday to come forward with information on weaponsof mass destruction, whose existence remains in doubt eightweeks after Saddam Hussein's fall. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
UN Council Mulls Future of Iraq Arms Inspections: "As the United States and Britaintry to explain why they have not found unconventional weaponsin Iraq, chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix wants the SecurityCouncil to utilize a decade of arms research and allow U.N.experts to finish the job. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush vows to 'reveal the truth' about weapons: "George W Bush has argued the US-led invasion of Iraq was justified and pledged to "reveal the truth" about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Bush vows to ride herd on Mideast foes: "In his first diplomatic venture in the Middle East, President Bush drew promises of peacemaking from Israel and the Palestinians, and said he intends to ride herd on both sides if they falter."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Blix: U.N. inspectors are ready for Iraq: "Chief U.N. inspector Hans Blix has said his search teams are ready to return to Iraq to pursue new leads and try to answer outstanding questions about Saddam Hussein's programs for weapons of mass destruction - but the United States doesn't want their help."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
AP-Latest-Iraq-War-Headlines At 12:30 a.m. EDT
From: spliffslips
--------------------
AP-Latest-Iraq-War-Headlines At 12:30 a.m. EDT
--------------------
By Associated Press
June 5, 2003, 12:32 AM EDT
U.S. Troops Excavate Bombed Out Remains of Saddam's Suspected Hiding Place
Democratic Presidential Candidate Graham Says Bush Responsible if Prewar Info Manipulated
Pentagon Official Denies Putting Political Spin on U.S. Intelligence to Justify War on Iraq
Fox's Geraldo Rivera Says Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Apparently Don't Exist
Opposition Leader Turns Against British Prime Minister Blair in Iraq Weapons Controversy
U.S. 3rd Infantry Division Moves Into Baath Resistance Stronghold in Central Iraq
Occupiers Propose New Code to Regulate Iraq's Media Drawing Apprehension From Journalists
Senators Frustrated With Amount of Information on Costs, Logistics of Iraq Operation
Blair Says He Will Cooperate With Investigation Into His Handling of Iraqi Weapons Reports
U.N. Inspectors Travel to Iraq to Check Security of Material at Looted Nuclear Site
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-latest-iraq-war-headlines,0,6613873.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
--------------------
AP-Latest-Iraq-War-Headlines At 12:30 a.m. EDT
--------------------
By Associated Press
June 5, 2003, 12:32 AM EDT
U.S. Troops Excavate Bombed Out Remains of Saddam's Suspected Hiding Place
Democratic Presidential Candidate Graham Says Bush Responsible if Prewar Info Manipulated
Pentagon Official Denies Putting Political Spin on U.S. Intelligence to Justify War on Iraq
Fox's Geraldo Rivera Says Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Apparently Don't Exist
Opposition Leader Turns Against British Prime Minister Blair in Iraq Weapons Controversy
U.S. 3rd Infantry Division Moves Into Baath Resistance Stronghold in Central Iraq
Occupiers Propose New Code to Regulate Iraq's Media Drawing Apprehension From Journalists
Senators Frustrated With Amount of Information on Costs, Logistics of Iraq Operation
Blair Says He Will Cooperate With Investigation Into His Handling of Iraqi Weapons Reports
U.N. Inspectors Travel to Iraq to Check Security of Material at Looted Nuclear Site
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-latest-iraq-war-headlines,0,6613873.story
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
Iraqi Troops, Tribes Tell US - Leave Or Face War in IraqWar.ru (English)
US makes new plans for war on Pyongyang in IraqWar.ru (English)
Coalition casualties accounted for (updated 3rd of June) in IraqWar.ru (English)
Poll shows U.S. isolation: In war's wake, hostility and mistrust in IraqWar.ru (English)
Baghdad blogger gets a column: "Salaam Pax, the popular blogger from Baghdad, now has his own column in the Guardian. Pax is short on incisive analysis, but strong on amusing details: "There are two questions which no one can answer: how many political parties are there now in Iraq? And how many newspapers are printed weekly? Most of these papers are just two or four pages of party propaganda, no license or hassle. Just go print. I am thinking of getting my own: "Pax News - all the rumours, all the time.""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
US makes new plans for war on Pyongyang in IraqWar.ru (English)
Coalition casualties accounted for (updated 3rd of June) in IraqWar.ru (English)
Poll shows U.S. isolation: In war's wake, hostility and mistrust in IraqWar.ru (English)
Baghdad blogger gets a column: "Salaam Pax, the popular blogger from Baghdad, now has his own column in the Guardian. Pax is short on incisive analysis, but strong on amusing details: "There are two questions which no one can answer: how many political parties are there now in Iraq? And how many newspapers are printed weekly? Most of these papers are just two or four pages of party propaganda, no license or hassle. Just go print. I am thinking of getting my own: "Pax News - all the rumours, all the time.""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Ratchet up the urgency on Iraq weapons search: " (USA TODAY)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam's Suspected Hiding Place Excavated: "U.S. Army combat engineers using bulldozers, backhoes and loaders dug through a rubble-filled crater Tuesday in an effort to determine whether Saddam Hussein died in an airstrike on the house where he was believed to be hiding. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blair Cooperating With Intelligence Probe: "Prime Minister Tony Blair, under fire from lawmakers over the failure to find Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, said Wednesday that the government will cooperate with a parliamentary probe into the intelligence on Iraqi arms that he used to justify war. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Coalition aims to reopen Baghdad museum, dogged by aftermath of Iraq war: "The looted Baghdad museum should reopen by September as part of efforts to restore normal life, the US-led coalition said, as the aftermath of the Iraq war continued to dog Washington and London. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Jerusalem elects ultra-Orthodox mayor: "Jerusalem elected its first ultra-Orthodox mayor while the left-leaning city of Haifa gave the nod to a former Labor member of parliament running for a reformist, secular party, according to a final results Wednesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam's Suspected Hiding Place Excavated: "U.S. Army combat engineers using bulldozers, backhoes and loaders dug through a rubble-filled crater Tuesday in an effort to determine whether Saddam Hussein died in an airstrike on the house where he was believed to be hiding. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blair Cooperating With Intelligence Probe: "Prime Minister Tony Blair, under fire from lawmakers over the failure to find Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, said Wednesday that the government will cooperate with a parliamentary probe into the intelligence on Iraqi arms that he used to justify war. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Coalition aims to reopen Baghdad museum, dogged by aftermath of Iraq war: "The looted Baghdad museum should reopen by September as part of efforts to restore normal life, the US-led coalition said, as the aftermath of the Iraq war continued to dog Washington and London. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Jerusalem elects ultra-Orthodox mayor: "Jerusalem elected its first ultra-Orthodox mayor while the left-leaning city of Haifa gave the nod to a former Labor member of parliament running for a reformist, secular party, according to a final results Wednesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
War Blog Iraq War Updates
Soldiers flown back to barracks after 'beating': "Two British soldiers have been ordered out of Iraq, after the alleged beating of Iraqi prisoners of war."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Acting in the name of democracy?: " The latest Pew Research Center poll showed a huge increase in global animosity toward the US, resulting..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
Two British Soldiers Accused of Beating Iraqi POW: "Two British soldiers have been sent homefrom Iraq after being accused of hitting an Iraqi prisoner andBritish troops are being questioned over the deaths of twoother POWs, the Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Close race is seen in Jerusalem mayoral: "An ultra-Orthodox candidate fought for the mayor's seat in Jerusalem in a close election Tuesday, while the once powerful Labor Party did not field a candidate here or in balloting in the longtime Labor stronghold, Haifa."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Group of Eight leaders unite behind Iraqi reconstruction: "Leaders of major industrialized nations agreed to work together to help rebuild Iraq in spite of lingering disputes over the justification for the US-led attack that unseated Saddam Hussein's Baath party regime. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Soldiers flown back to barracks after 'beating': "Two British soldiers have been ordered out of Iraq, after the alleged beating of Iraqi prisoners of war."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Acting in the name of democracy?: " The latest Pew Research Center poll showed a huge increase in global animosity toward the US, resulting..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
Two British Soldiers Accused of Beating Iraqi POW: "Two British soldiers have been sent homefrom Iraq after being accused of hitting an Iraqi prisoner andBritish troops are being questioned over the deaths of twoother POWs, the Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Close race is seen in Jerusalem mayoral: "An ultra-Orthodox candidate fought for the mayor's seat in Jerusalem in a close election Tuesday, while the once powerful Labor Party did not field a candidate here or in balloting in the longtime Labor stronghold, Haifa."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Group of Eight leaders unite behind Iraqi reconstruction: "Leaders of major industrialized nations agreed to work together to help rebuild Iraq in spite of lingering disputes over the justification for the US-led attack that unseated Saddam Hussein's Baath party regime. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND IS CONFIDENT IN SECURITY PROCEDURES FOR SEARCHING INDIVIDUA in CENTCOM: News Release
Increasing U.S. isolation: "It is every bit as bad as many of us suspected. According to a recent Pew survey, the global rift between the United States and the rest of the world has deepened into a gaping chasm. Among Muslim countries, the change is remarkable. 83 percent of all Turks have an unfavorable opinion of the United States, up from 55 percent last summer. In Europe, the approval ratings have improved compared to pre-war ratings but still much lower than a year before. Worse, the animosity is now reciprocated in full measure by the American public which now has a low opinion of traditional allies like France and Germany."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Worldwide poll shows U.S. isolation: In war's wake, hostility and mistrust (3 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Clerics fill political void in Baghdad -- Restrictions on women returning (03 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Iraq nuclear looters leave trail of anguish (02 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Britain announces inquiry into Iraq War: "A British parliamentary committee announced Tuesday it would hold an inquiry into the government's decision to go to war with Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Spokesman: Al-Jazeera names new director: "The al-Jazeera satellite television station has named a new director, a spokesman said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Inquiry over decision to go to war in Iraq: "A committee of MPs have announced it is to launch an inquiry into the decision to go to war in Iraq."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Saddam's daughters 'sought asylum in Germany and Britain': "Saddam Hussein's daughters applied for asylum in Germany and the United Arab Emirates as well as in Britain, it was claimed tonight."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Bush in driver's seat of Mideast summit: "The Bush White House is known for its skill at stage-managing historic presidential events."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Arab leaders pledge to help end violence: "Arab leaders pledged on Tuesday to renounce terror and help end violence against Israel, standing in solidarity with President Bush at what he said was "a moment of promise" for peace. Bush called on Israel to dismantle Jewish settlements in the West Bank."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Uday Was Hiding in Baghdad 11 Days Ago, Says Double: "Saddam Hussein's elder son Uday was inhiding in Baghdad 11 days ago and had considered giving himselfup to U.S. forces, a former body double said Tuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bechtel: Iraqis to Get Majority of Deals: "Bechtel, the U.S. firm given the primecontract to rebuild Iraq, will farm out most subcontracts toIraqi firms, not the thousands of foreign ones clamoring for ashare, a company executive said on Tuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Increasing U.S. isolation: "It is every bit as bad as many of us suspected. According to a recent Pew survey, the global rift between the United States and the rest of the world has deepened into a gaping chasm. Among Muslim countries, the change is remarkable. 83 percent of all Turks have an unfavorable opinion of the United States, up from 55 percent last summer. In Europe, the approval ratings have improved compared to pre-war ratings but still much lower than a year before. Worse, the animosity is now reciprocated in full measure by the American public which now has a low opinion of traditional allies like France and Germany."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Worldwide poll shows U.S. isolation: In war's wake, hostility and mistrust (3 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Clerics fill political void in Baghdad -- Restrictions on women returning (03 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Iraq nuclear looters leave trail of anguish (02 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Britain announces inquiry into Iraq War: "A British parliamentary committee announced Tuesday it would hold an inquiry into the government's decision to go to war with Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Spokesman: Al-Jazeera names new director: "The al-Jazeera satellite television station has named a new director, a spokesman said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Inquiry over decision to go to war in Iraq: "A committee of MPs have announced it is to launch an inquiry into the decision to go to war in Iraq."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Saddam's daughters 'sought asylum in Germany and Britain': "Saddam Hussein's daughters applied for asylum in Germany and the United Arab Emirates as well as in Britain, it was claimed tonight."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Bush in driver's seat of Mideast summit: "The Bush White House is known for its skill at stage-managing historic presidential events."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Arab leaders pledge to help end violence: "Arab leaders pledged on Tuesday to renounce terror and help end violence against Israel, standing in solidarity with President Bush at what he said was "a moment of promise" for peace. Bush called on Israel to dismantle Jewish settlements in the West Bank."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Uday Was Hiding in Baghdad 11 Days Ago, Says Double: "Saddam Hussein's elder son Uday was inhiding in Baghdad 11 days ago and had considered giving himselfup to U.S. forces, a former body double said Tuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bechtel: Iraqis to Get Majority of Deals: "Bechtel, the U.S. firm given the primecontract to rebuild Iraq, will farm out most subcontracts toIraqi firms, not the thousands of foreign ones clamoring for ashare, a company executive said on Tuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
BBC E-mail: Free sex offer for US troops
Spliffslips saw this story on BBC News Online and thought you
should see it.
** Message **
Now this is supporting our troops!
** Free sex offer for US troops **
A US brothel is offering free sex to US troops who took part in the war against Iraq to thank them for their endeavours abroad
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/americas/2961288.stm >
** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >
** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this
e-mail, and anything said in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect
the BBC's views.
If you don't wish to receive such mails in the future, please e-mail
webmasters@bbc.co.uk making sure you include the following text: I do
not want to receive "E-mail a friend" mailings.
should see it.
** Message **
Now this is supporting our troops!
** Free sex offer for US troops **
A US brothel is offering free sex to US troops who took part in the war against Iraq to thank them for their endeavours abroad
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/americas/2961288.stm >
** BBC Daily E-mail **
Choose the news and sport headlines you want - when you want them, all
in one daily e-mail
< http://www.bbc.co.uk/dailyemail/ >
** Disclaimer **
The BBC is not responsible for the content of this
e-mail, and anything said in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect
the BBC's views.
If you don't wish to receive such mails in the future, please e-mail
webmasters@bbc.co.uk making sure you include the following text: I do
not want to receive "E-mail a friend" mailings.
War Blog Iraq War Updates
'Intellgence faliure' misses the point - Lies now standard operating procedure (3 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Chirac reopens Iraq wounds in BBC: War in Iraq
British envoy unhurt after confrontation with bandits in Iraq: "Britain's special envoy for human rights in Iraq, Ann Clwyd, escaped unharmed when the convoy in which she was travelling near Kirkuk in the north of the country was ambushed by bandits, the priem minister's office said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqis Protest U.S. Presence, Women Body Searches: "Thousands of Iraqi Muslims marchedthrough Baghdad Tuesday, threatening violence unless U.S.troops withdraw from the country and venting their anger overbody searches of women in the capital. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Arab leaders meet Bush, vow terror fight: "Arab leaders, meeting with President Bush as he entered the labyrinth of Mideast peace negotiations, pledged Tuesday to fight terror and violence and called on Israel to "rebuild trust and restore normal Palestinian life.""
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.N. Inspectors Say Iraqi Mobile Labs New to Them: "Agreeing with the United States,U.N. weapons inspectors reported on Monday Iraq had failed todeclare what appeared to be mobile biological arms labs, butthey did not back up sweeping U.S. claims of arms caches. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Guns and butter
Investors of various sorts are holding off on ventures in Iraq because of security. The NYT today says that,
The oil companies apparently agree. The Financial Times says that, "International oil companies are postponing visits to Iraq because of continued insecurity there, potentially setting back by weeks or even months the timing of reconstruction of the country's oil production and exports." This is not helped by the fact that "The US Pentagon has warned companies hoping to operate in Iraq that they will have to provide their own security and that their movements will be restricted."
This brings up the spectre described in a previous post of a hybrid economy operating with different levels of protection, including home-grown mafia and the like.
Given the hullaballoo over the recently demobilized Iraqi army, I can just imagine how they might fit in to such a picture, should we permit such an environment to evolve.
One other point: the reluctance of oil companies to venture in seems to prove that we cannot, in fact, tolerate an environment of chronic, low-grade conflict in the region, which I, among others, had wondered about. Although it makes me wonder even more why we seem to lack the commitment needed to secure the country. Perhaps we are simply not estimating the requirements correctly.
On another tack, without any apparent irony, the NYT quotes Paul Bremer as saying, "I want to start the process now of turning this economy around into an economy which can offer real jobs with real wages for the millions of citizens who need and deserve them..."
In counterpoint, the LA Times reports that,
I understand the desire to purge the administration and government of Ba'athists, and I understand the desire to not have to pay salaries. I do not understand making such a move in one swell foop, without any sort of clear plan as to what to do next, or as to how to mitigate the impact on the economy.
The improvisation continues.
"
USS Constellation arrives home in CNN - War in Iraq
PSA: Caption Contest Winners: "Thanks to all who entered our caption contest. After much deliberation (and by some, heavy consumption), we've selected our winners and posted their captions. They are:
"
In Command Post: Irak
New Prison Opens In Southern Iraq: "From the Charleston Post Courier / AP :
In Command Post: Irak
Missing Soldiers Recovered: "An update on this post , from CENTCOM :
In Command Post: Irak
U.S. Soldier Killed In Checkpoint Attack In Iraq: "From Reuters :
In Command Post: Irak
NATO Approves Plans To Assist Polish-Led Force In Iraq: "From FOXNews.com :
In Command Post: Irak
UN's Iraq Envoy Takes Charge: "From the Gulf News (Dubai) :
In Command Post: Irak
Iraq WMDs Row 'More Serious Than Watergate': Labour MPs: "And then there's this take on the prior story, courtesy the Hindustan Times (India):
In Command Post: Irak
Blair's Own Lawmakers Call For Publishing Iraq War Intelligence: "Public Service Announcement: The flurry predicted here is oficially underway. From Bloomberg :
In Command Post: Irak
'Intellgence faliure' misses the point - Lies now standard operating procedure (3 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Chirac reopens Iraq wounds in BBC: War in Iraq
British envoy unhurt after confrontation with bandits in Iraq: "Britain's special envoy for human rights in Iraq, Ann Clwyd, escaped unharmed when the convoy in which she was travelling near Kirkuk in the north of the country was ambushed by bandits, the priem minister's office said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqis Protest U.S. Presence, Women Body Searches: "Thousands of Iraqi Muslims marchedthrough Baghdad Tuesday, threatening violence unless U.S.troops withdraw from the country and venting their anger overbody searches of women in the capital. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Arab leaders meet Bush, vow terror fight: "Arab leaders, meeting with President Bush as he entered the labyrinth of Mideast peace negotiations, pledged Tuesday to fight terror and violence and called on Israel to "rebuild trust and restore normal Palestinian life.""
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.N. Inspectors Say Iraqi Mobile Labs New to Them: "Agreeing with the United States,U.N. weapons inspectors reported on Monday Iraq had failed todeclare what appeared to be mobile biological arms labs, butthey did not back up sweeping U.S. claims of arms caches. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Guns and butter
Investors of various sorts are holding off on ventures in Iraq because of security. The NYT today says that,
Many of Iraq's wealthy exiles...say that they and other foreign investors consider Iraq too unstable for large investment. 'They are all afraid, and I am concerned that the situation may be getting worse,' said one prominent Iraqi business executive.
The oil companies apparently agree. The Financial Times says that, "International oil companies are postponing visits to Iraq because of continued insecurity there, potentially setting back by weeks or even months the timing of reconstruction of the country's oil production and exports." This is not helped by the fact that "The US Pentagon has warned companies hoping to operate in Iraq that they will have to provide their own security and that their movements will be restricted."
This brings up the spectre described in a previous post of a hybrid economy operating with different levels of protection, including home-grown mafia and the like.
Given the hullaballoo over the recently demobilized Iraqi army, I can just imagine how they might fit in to such a picture, should we permit such an environment to evolve.
One other point: the reluctance of oil companies to venture in seems to prove that we cannot, in fact, tolerate an environment of chronic, low-grade conflict in the region, which I, among others, had wondered about. Although it makes me wonder even more why we seem to lack the commitment needed to secure the country. Perhaps we are simply not estimating the requirements correctly.
On another tack, without any apparent irony, the NYT quotes Paul Bremer as saying, "I want to start the process now of turning this economy around into an economy which can offer real jobs with real wages for the millions of citizens who need and deserve them..."
In counterpoint, the LA Times reports that,
U.S. reconstruction officials will soon hand out pink slips to nearly half a million Iraqi military and civilian personnel, exacerbating an unemployment crisis that experts say could slow the pace of postwar reconstruction....'It will be catastrophic for the Iraqi economy,' said Humam Shamaa, senior professor of finance and economics at Baghdad University. 'There will be a depression. It is a contraction to the reconstruction.'
I understand the desire to purge the administration and government of Ba'athists, and I understand the desire to not have to pay salaries. I do not understand making such a move in one swell foop, without any sort of clear plan as to what to do next, or as to how to mitigate the impact on the economy.
The improvisation continues.
"
USS Constellation arrives home in CNN - War in Iraq
PSA: Caption Contest Winners: "Thanks to all who entered our caption contest. After much deliberation (and by some, heavy consumption), we've selected our winners and posted their captions. They are:
Baghdad Bob: "You are not reading this!" - Jim TreacherThanks again to everyone, and we'll have another contest and some new photos soon.
Saddam Hussein: "Command-Post commentors makes me drool!" - Dave Dube
Dear Leader: I will continue to use Command Post contributor ideas for how I can crush western decadence ? until I get o-n-e m-i-l-l-i-o-n dollars! -Devlis Chewtoy
Osama bin Laden: The Command Post is my favorite virtual cave! - Dave Dube (again!)
"
In Command Post: Irak
New Prison Opens In Southern Iraq: "From the Charleston Post Courier / AP :
With a flourish, the British military on Monday opened the first functioning prison in postwar southern Iraq, a new high-security home for people picked up by U.S.-led occupation forces on suspicion they killed, raped or robbed in the chaotic wake of the war."
In Command Post: Irak
Missing Soldiers Recovered: "An update on this post , from CENTCOM :
At approximately 3:15 p.m. (Kuwait) Monday, Coalition Forces reported four soldiers from the U.S. Army?s 1092nd Engineer Company, a U.S. Army contractor from Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), and two civilian boat captains were found after they had been reported missing Sunday evening. When transiting up the Shatt Al Arab (SAA) waterway, they were taken detained by Iranians. They were not physically abused."
The four soldiers and three of the civilians were escorted and released back onto their boats. The U.S. patrol craft, U.S.S. CHINOOK located them in the vicinity of the SAA at approximately 2:45 p.m. (local) Monday. The two drivers remain detained.
In Command Post: Irak
U.S. Soldier Killed In Checkpoint Attack In Iraq: "From Reuters :
A U.S. soldier has died in Iraq after being wounded in an attack on a checkpoint in a town north of Baghdad, the U.S. Central Command said on Tuesday.Here's the report at CENTCOM ."
The soldier died on Monday evening from wounds received in the attack with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades near Balad, 55 miles from Baghdad, Central Command said on its Web site.
In Command Post: Irak
NATO Approves Plans To Assist Polish-Led Force In Iraq: "From FOXNews.com :
NATO allies approved plans Monday to give logistical and intelligence support to a Polish-led force that will help U.S. soldiers police central Iraq, diplomatic sources said."
The NATO support for the multinational force of 7,000 to be assembled by Poland would be the alliance's first involvement in postwar Iraq.
In Command Post: Irak
UN's Iraq Envoy Takes Charge: "From the Gulf News (Dubai) :
The new UN representative to Iraq arrived for work yesterday, saying his main priority is to ensure the quick establishment of an interim authority and pave the way for a democratic government."
"Iraq has suffered far too much for far too long," Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN commissioner for human rights, said in a statement upon arriving. "Iraqis deserve better - infinitely better."
In Command Post: Irak
Iraq WMDs Row 'More Serious Than Watergate': Labour MPs: "And then there's this take on the prior story, courtesy the Hindustan Times (India):
The row over absent weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in Iraq could turn out to be "more serious than Watergate", backbench Labour MPs have warned, demanding an independent inquiry into the Blair government's claims that Saddam Hussein possessed chemical, biological and even nuclear weapons."
In Command Post: Irak
Blair's Own Lawmakers Call For Publishing Iraq War Intelligence: "Public Service Announcement: The flurry predicted here is oficially underway. From Bloomberg :
More than 50 lawmakers from U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair's own Labour Party said he should make public all the intelligence he used to justify the war against Iraq."
Their motion, signed by one-in-eight of all Labour members of parliament, calls on the government to ``publish in full the evidence it holds, and its sources.''
In Command Post: Irak
Death Fear Fraud
Powell Defends Iraq Weapons Intelligence: "From the Kansas City Star / AP :
In Command Post: Irak
G-8 Vows Unity On Rebuilding Iraq: "From CNN Europe :
In Command Post: Irak
HELICOPTER CRASHES NEAR ORGUN-E in CENTCOM: News Release
FOURTH INFANTRY DIVISION SOLDIER KILLED in CENTCOM: News Release
COALITION EFFORTS AID IRAQ'S RECOVERY (JUNE 3, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
MISSING SOLDIERS RECOVERED in CENTCOM: News Release
Guantanamo courtrooms, Death Row being prepared (02 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Ex-Army boss: Pentagon won't admit reality in Iraq (3 June 03) in Radio Free USA
'Significant problems' with DOJ detainees (2 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Powell Defends Iraq Weapons Intelligence: "From the Kansas City Star / AP :
Secretary of State Colin Powell defended U.S. intelligence about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction Monday, saying he was convinced by "overwhelming" evidence that they existed, even though none have yet been found."
In some of his most extensive comments on the issue, Powell tried to dismiss reports suggesting U.S. intelligence was flawed or overstated to justify the war. He insisted there was no point in getting "trapped in the long-winded debate about what was known and not known" about Iraq's weapons programs before the war.
In Command Post: Irak
G-8 Vows Unity On Rebuilding Iraq: "From CNN Europe :
The Group of Eight leaders have ended their annual summit with a pledge to work together to rebuild Iraq and a warning to Iran and North Korea not to develop nuclear weapons ..."
... In a statement given by the summit host, French President Jacques Chirac, the leaders said they "share the conviction that the time has now come to build peace and reconstruct Iraq."
In Command Post: Irak
HELICOPTER CRASHES NEAR ORGUN-E in CENTCOM: News Release
FOURTH INFANTRY DIVISION SOLDIER KILLED in CENTCOM: News Release
COALITION EFFORTS AID IRAQ'S RECOVERY (JUNE 3, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
MISSING SOLDIERS RECOVERED in CENTCOM: News Release
Guantanamo courtrooms, Death Row being prepared (02 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Ex-Army boss: Pentagon won't admit reality in Iraq (3 June 03) in Radio Free USA
'Significant problems' with DOJ detainees (2 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Wra Blog Iraq War Updates
Baghdad airport may reopen next month: "Baghdad's international airport which has been closed since the Iraq war may reopen in July."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
G8 united on rebuilding Iraq in BBC: War in Iraq
Checkups For All, After Iraq: "Hoping to avoid the problems many soldiers faced after the first Gulf War, the Pentagon has ordered health screenings for every soldier, sailor, Marine and airman sent into the Iraq war."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
US Senate opens Iraq weapons probe in BBC: War in Iraq
'Last' Blix report raises questions in BBC: War in Iraq
British troops reopen Basra prison in BBC: War in Iraq
Bush seeks Arab backing for Mideast plan: "President Bush looked Tuesday for a commitment from Arab leaders to end violence and move toward peace with Israel, which U.S. officials said should strengthen Bush's hand in winning corresponding concessions from the Jewish state."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Blair returns to growing unrest in BBC: War in Iraq
Palestinians hope for release of prisoner: "Dozens of Palestinians gather each day outside the home of a man who had become a legend in this West Bank village because he's lived so much of it behind bars."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Basra: British forces fail to provide security: "Nearly eight weeks after British forces entered Basra, they still have not addressed basic security needs in Iraq's second largest city, Human Rights Watch said today."
In Electronic Iraq
Top UN envoy for Iraq arrives in Baghdad; food distribution resumes: "The top United Nations envoy for Iraq arrived in Baghdad today pledging to assist in the ?critical efforts? to quickly establish a representative Iraqi government, as UN-supplied food rations again began reaching the civilian population."
In Electronic Iraq
US soldier killed in Iraq: "An American soldier has been shot dead while on patrol in central Iraq."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Ex-U.S. Army Chief: U.S. in Iraq for Long Stay: "Former Army Secretary Thomas Whitesaid in an interview that it was time for the Pentagon to admitthe U.S. military was in for a long stay in Iraq that willrequire a major commitment of troops. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blair returns to mounting fury over Iraq weapons: "Tony Blair is facing a mounting revolt from his own Labour MPs over Iraq's weapons of mass destruction."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Trade picks up with Iraq despite pitfalls: "The line stretches for more than two miles: hundreds of Turkish trucks massed at the Iraqi border, a traffic jam that illustrates both the promise of trade and the possible pitfalls."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. choppers the peace from above Iraq: "The half-dozen Apache and Black Hawk helicopters clattered above this sprawling capital, hovering over intersections and crisscrossing paths as they banked over palm-lined avenues and the winding Tigris River."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Baghdad airport may reopen next month: "Baghdad's international airport which has been closed since the Iraq war may reopen in July."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
G8 united on rebuilding Iraq in BBC: War in Iraq
Checkups For All, After Iraq: "Hoping to avoid the problems many soldiers faced after the first Gulf War, the Pentagon has ordered health screenings for every soldier, sailor, Marine and airman sent into the Iraq war."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
US Senate opens Iraq weapons probe in BBC: War in Iraq
'Last' Blix report raises questions in BBC: War in Iraq
British troops reopen Basra prison in BBC: War in Iraq
Bush seeks Arab backing for Mideast plan: "President Bush looked Tuesday for a commitment from Arab leaders to end violence and move toward peace with Israel, which U.S. officials said should strengthen Bush's hand in winning corresponding concessions from the Jewish state."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Blair returns to growing unrest in BBC: War in Iraq
Palestinians hope for release of prisoner: "Dozens of Palestinians gather each day outside the home of a man who had become a legend in this West Bank village because he's lived so much of it behind bars."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Basra: British forces fail to provide security: "Nearly eight weeks after British forces entered Basra, they still have not addressed basic security needs in Iraq's second largest city, Human Rights Watch said today."
In Electronic Iraq
Top UN envoy for Iraq arrives in Baghdad; food distribution resumes: "The top United Nations envoy for Iraq arrived in Baghdad today pledging to assist in the ?critical efforts? to quickly establish a representative Iraqi government, as UN-supplied food rations again began reaching the civilian population."
In Electronic Iraq
US soldier killed in Iraq: "An American soldier has been shot dead while on patrol in central Iraq."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Ex-U.S. Army Chief: U.S. in Iraq for Long Stay: "Former Army Secretary Thomas Whitesaid in an interview that it was time for the Pentagon to admitthe U.S. military was in for a long stay in Iraq that willrequire a major commitment of troops. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blair returns to mounting fury over Iraq weapons: "Tony Blair is facing a mounting revolt from his own Labour MPs over Iraq's weapons of mass destruction."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Trade picks up with Iraq despite pitfalls: "The line stretches for more than two miles: hundreds of Turkish trucks massed at the Iraqi border, a traffic jam that illustrates both the promise of trade and the possible pitfalls."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. choppers the peace from above Iraq: "The half-dozen Apache and Black Hawk helicopters clattered above this sprawling capital, hovering over intersections and crisscrossing paths as they banked over palm-lined avenues and the winding Tigris River."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Monday, June 02, 2003
Former Iraqi troops demand pay from U.S.: "Hundreds of former Iraqi soldiers protested Monday outside the office compound of Iraq's U.S. occupiers, demanding pay for troops dismissed when the American civil administrator abolished the country's military."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel will dismantle only some outposts: "Israel will dismantle only some of the more than 100 settlement outposts in the West Bank, Israeli officials said Monday, underscoring the difficulty Israelis and Palestinians are having in reaching agreement ahead of a summit with President Bush."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
More than a house was destroyed: "Baghdad holds many secrets. From the street, you would not know that this home, in the Jadrea district, had been affected by the war. It's a house of some means, elegant but simple. As you enter, however, the physical signs -- deep cracks in the ceilings, walls, and floors -- begin to tell the story of what happened."
In Electronic Iraq
A fresh start for Iraq: The case for debt relief: "The reconstruction of Iraq is a pressing problem for the international community. Failure would have grave implications not just for the people of Iraq, but for regional and international peace and security. Of the many problems confronting attempts at social and economic recovery in Iraq, one crucial area which has received insufficient attention is foreign debt."
In Electronic Iraq
The Reverse Robin Hood (2 June 03) in Radio Free USA
U.S. Tinkers With Postwar Plan: "Amid reports of new attacks on U.S. troops, American administrators in Iraq canceled a national conference to select interim rulers. Instead, the U.S. will choose a small group to name new leaders."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel will dismantle only some outposts: "Israel will dismantle only some of the more than 100 settlement outposts in the West Bank, Israeli officials said Monday, underscoring the difficulty Israelis and Palestinians are having in reaching agreement ahead of a summit with President Bush."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
More than a house was destroyed: "Baghdad holds many secrets. From the street, you would not know that this home, in the Jadrea district, had been affected by the war. It's a house of some means, elegant but simple. As you enter, however, the physical signs -- deep cracks in the ceilings, walls, and floors -- begin to tell the story of what happened."
In Electronic Iraq
A fresh start for Iraq: The case for debt relief: "The reconstruction of Iraq is a pressing problem for the international community. Failure would have grave implications not just for the people of Iraq, but for regional and international peace and security. Of the many problems confronting attempts at social and economic recovery in Iraq, one crucial area which has received insufficient attention is foreign debt."
In Electronic Iraq
The Reverse Robin Hood (2 June 03) in Radio Free USA
U.S. Tinkers With Postwar Plan: "Amid reports of new attacks on U.S. troops, American administrators in Iraq canceled a national conference to select interim rulers. Instead, the U.S. will choose a small group to name new leaders."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
War Blog Iraq War Updates
Palestinian uprising leader goes on trial: "A Palestinian uprising leader on trial for murder used Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's recent statement about Israel's occupation of millions of Palestinians to bolster his cause Monday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
COALITION AND IRAQI POLICE WORK TO MAKE IRAQ SECURE (JUNE 2, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
Russia Dismisses U.S. Weapons Lab Proof Claim: "Russia dismissed Monday U.S. efforts topresent its discovery of a mobile laboratory as an example ofIraq's banned weapons program, saying only U.N. scientistscould officially certify weapons as illegal. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqis start to get food rations as new UN representative heads for Baghdad: "Iraqis were to begin to receive their first food rations since the war to topple Saddam Hussein, as the newly-apppointed UN special envoy for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, was headed for Baghdad. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Sacked Iraqi Troops Threaten Attacks on U.S. Forces: "Thousands of sacked Iraqi soldiersmarched on the U.S.-led administration Monday and threatened tolaunch suicide attacks on American troops in Baghdad unlessthey were paid wages and compensation. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush vows commitment to Mideast peace: "In his first personal foray into Middle East peace talks, President Bush pledged Monday to "put in as much time as necessary" into achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians and help them live side by side."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US and UK stand by WMD claims in BBC: War in Iraq
Iran countdown begins (1 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Brief smiles, deep divisions (2 June 03) in Radio Free USA
U.K.: Iraqi weapons evidence overwhelming: "Evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction is "overwhelming," British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Monday, although coalition forces have so far failed to find such weapons in Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.N. inspectors set to return to Iraq: "A team of U.N. nuclear safety experts will leave Wednesday for Iraq and should be in Baghdad by the end of the week, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Palestinian uprising leader goes on trial: "A Palestinian uprising leader on trial for murder used Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's recent statement about Israel's occupation of millions of Palestinians to bolster his cause Monday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
COALITION AND IRAQI POLICE WORK TO MAKE IRAQ SECURE (JUNE 2, 2003) in CENTCOM: News Release
Russia Dismisses U.S. Weapons Lab Proof Claim: "Russia dismissed Monday U.S. efforts topresent its discovery of a mobile laboratory as an example ofIraq's banned weapons program, saying only U.N. scientistscould officially certify weapons as illegal. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqis start to get food rations as new UN representative heads for Baghdad: "Iraqis were to begin to receive their first food rations since the war to topple Saddam Hussein, as the newly-apppointed UN special envoy for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, was headed for Baghdad. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Sacked Iraqi Troops Threaten Attacks on U.S. Forces: "Thousands of sacked Iraqi soldiersmarched on the U.S.-led administration Monday and threatened tolaunch suicide attacks on American troops in Baghdad unlessthey were paid wages and compensation. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush vows commitment to Mideast peace: "In his first personal foray into Middle East peace talks, President Bush pledged Monday to "put in as much time as necessary" into achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians and help them live side by side."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US and UK stand by WMD claims in BBC: War in Iraq
Iran countdown begins (1 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Brief smiles, deep divisions (2 June 03) in Radio Free USA
U.K.: Iraqi weapons evidence overwhelming: "Evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction is "overwhelming," British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Monday, although coalition forces have so far failed to find such weapons in Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.N. inspectors set to return to Iraq: "A team of U.N. nuclear safety experts will leave Wednesday for Iraq and should be in Baghdad by the end of the week, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Monday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
War Blog Iraq War Updates
Straw rules out Iraq war inquiry: "Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has ruled out an inquiry into the Iraq war despite a poll suggesting that Britons are increasingly skeptical that the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein really possessed weapons of mass destruction. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Hundreds Honor Victims of Saddam's Regime: "The table to the left of Mehsin Jawad al-Busail was covered in papers bearing dozens of names recorded in ornate, flowing Arabic script. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.K.: No Asylum Papers for Saddam's Kin: "Britain has not received asylum applications from two daughters of Saddam Hussein, the government said Monday following a published report that the women hope to move here. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Signs of the Times: "British occupation forces' effort to install a local governing council has stumbled as "residents who were angry that it was handpicked by the British poured into Basra's streets by the thousands in protest. 'We can manage ourselves, by ourselves,' read one of the banners carried by demonstrators," according to the New York Times.
Elsewhere in the Times we find that, "Even as Americans viewed the conflict with Iraq as mostly over and the nation's attention turned elsewhere, the Department of Defense reported the deaths of about 40 service members in the past six weeks. About three-fourths of the deaths came after May 1, the day President Bush formally declared the end of major combat operations.""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Marine admits WMD dope 'simply wrong': "In a press conference Friday, Lt. Gen. James Conway, commander, First Marine Expeditionary Force, was blunt when asked if he was confused that no biological, chemical or nuclear weapons have been found in Iraq despite intelligence claims that the Republican Guard had deployed WMDs: "It was a surprise to me then, it remains a surprise to me now, that we have not uncovered weapons, as you say, in some of the forward dispersal sites," said Conway. "We were simply wrong."
On Sunday, meanwhile, Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia promised a full investigation to find out if the Bush administration deliberately exaggerated the threat posed by Iraq's chemical and biological arms."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Iraqis get first food rations since war: "Iraqis will begin to receive their first food rations since the war to topple Saddam Hussein under the same programme that kept much of the population from starving over the past 13 years. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Reported Attack Kills 2 Iraqis in Baghdad: "Two Iraqi men were killed and two U.S. servicemen injured in an exchange of gunfire at a mosque in Baghdad, witnesses and soldiers said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Mideast foes prepare for summit with Bush: "Israel eased some travel restrictions and Palestinians predicted a cease-fire soon, as both sides prepared for a crucial peace summit this week with President Bush."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Myanmar turns away Suu Kyi visitors: "Myanmar authorities turned away students from universities on Monday, the first day of a new semester, suspending classes just days they detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and closed her party's offices."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saddam's daughters 'to seek asylum in Britain': "Two of Saddam Hussein's daughters are reportedly planning to seek asylum in Britain."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Straw rules out Iraq war inquiry: "Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has ruled out an inquiry into the Iraq war despite a poll suggesting that Britons are increasingly skeptical that the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein really possessed weapons of mass destruction. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Hundreds Honor Victims of Saddam's Regime: "The table to the left of Mehsin Jawad al-Busail was covered in papers bearing dozens of names recorded in ornate, flowing Arabic script. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.K.: No Asylum Papers for Saddam's Kin: "Britain has not received asylum applications from two daughters of Saddam Hussein, the government said Monday following a published report that the women hope to move here. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Signs of the Times: "British occupation forces' effort to install a local governing council has stumbled as "residents who were angry that it was handpicked by the British poured into Basra's streets by the thousands in protest. 'We can manage ourselves, by ourselves,' read one of the banners carried by demonstrators," according to the New York Times.
Elsewhere in the Times we find that, "Even as Americans viewed the conflict with Iraq as mostly over and the nation's attention turned elsewhere, the Department of Defense reported the deaths of about 40 service members in the past six weeks. About three-fourths of the deaths came after May 1, the day President Bush formally declared the end of major combat operations.""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Marine admits WMD dope 'simply wrong': "In a press conference Friday, Lt. Gen. James Conway, commander, First Marine Expeditionary Force, was blunt when asked if he was confused that no biological, chemical or nuclear weapons have been found in Iraq despite intelligence claims that the Republican Guard had deployed WMDs: "It was a surprise to me then, it remains a surprise to me now, that we have not uncovered weapons, as you say, in some of the forward dispersal sites," said Conway. "We were simply wrong."
On Sunday, meanwhile, Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia promised a full investigation to find out if the Bush administration deliberately exaggerated the threat posed by Iraq's chemical and biological arms."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Iraqis get first food rations since war: "Iraqis will begin to receive their first food rations since the war to topple Saddam Hussein under the same programme that kept much of the population from starving over the past 13 years. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Reported Attack Kills 2 Iraqis in Baghdad: "Two Iraqi men were killed and two U.S. servicemen injured in an exchange of gunfire at a mosque in Baghdad, witnesses and soldiers said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Mideast foes prepare for summit with Bush: "Israel eased some travel restrictions and Palestinians predicted a cease-fire soon, as both sides prepared for a crucial peace summit this week with President Bush."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Myanmar turns away Suu Kyi visitors: "Myanmar authorities turned away students from universities on Monday, the first day of a new semester, suspending classes just days they detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and closed her party's offices."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saddam's daughters 'to seek asylum in Britain': "Two of Saddam Hussein's daughters are reportedly planning to seek asylum in Britain."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Sunday, June 01, 2003
War Blog Iraq War Updates
Revealed: the cluster bombs that litter Iraq (1 June 03) in Radio Free USA
9/11 movie paints Bush as hero (1 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Iraq weapons row intensifies in BBC: War in Iraq
Basra protests against UK leader in BBC: War in Iraq
Blair Faces Criticism on Iraq Arms Claim: "A former member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's Cabinet reportedly accused him Sunday of spinning intelligence to justify the war on Iraq and said he had "duped" his colleagues about alleged weapons of mass destruction. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
L.A. Police Honor Marine Killed in Iraq: "Police paid tribute to a Marine who died in Iraq before he could fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush, Blair Face Heat on Iraq Weapons: "The CIA is reviewing its intelligence, British agents are reportedly doubting their own assessments and Saddam Hussein's enemies are being accused of manufacturing evidence. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush in France for Protest-Hit G8 Summit: "President Bush arrived Sunday forhis first visit to France since the Iraq war, turning attentionfrom the Group of Eight summit to a smoldering dispute with hisloudest critic Jacques Chirac. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
New UN envoy due in Iraq for four-month aid mission: "The new UN envoy for Iraq is due here to oversee humanitarian relief work after months of strained relations between the world body and the US coalition over the war that brought down Saddam Hussein. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Japan photojournalist sentenced in Jordan: "Jordan's military court sentenced a Japanese photographer Sunday to 1 1/2 years in jail for unintentionally causing the death of a Jordanian security official in a cluster bomb blast at Amman airport last month."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel eases some Palestinian travel limits: "The Israeli military eased travel restrictions Sunday and allowed thousands of Palestinian workers to enter the country in an effort to lower tensions and build goodwill ahead of an upcoming U.S.-backed peace summit."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Charity helps pet lions find a new home: "A British wildlife charity is helping to relocate nine lions found abandoned at Uday Hussein's palace in Baghdad."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Revealed: the cluster bombs that litter Iraq (1 June 03) in Radio Free USA
9/11 movie paints Bush as hero (1 June 03) in Radio Free USA
Iraq weapons row intensifies in BBC: War in Iraq
Basra protests against UK leader in BBC: War in Iraq
Blair Faces Criticism on Iraq Arms Claim: "A former member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's Cabinet reportedly accused him Sunday of spinning intelligence to justify the war on Iraq and said he had "duped" his colleagues about alleged weapons of mass destruction. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
L.A. Police Honor Marine Killed in Iraq: "Police paid tribute to a Marine who died in Iraq before he could fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush, Blair Face Heat on Iraq Weapons: "The CIA is reviewing its intelligence, British agents are reportedly doubting their own assessments and Saddam Hussein's enemies are being accused of manufacturing evidence. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush in France for Protest-Hit G8 Summit: "President Bush arrived Sunday forhis first visit to France since the Iraq war, turning attentionfrom the Group of Eight summit to a smoldering dispute with hisloudest critic Jacques Chirac. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
New UN envoy due in Iraq for four-month aid mission: "The new UN envoy for Iraq is due here to oversee humanitarian relief work after months of strained relations between the world body and the US coalition over the war that brought down Saddam Hussein. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Japan photojournalist sentenced in Jordan: "Jordan's military court sentenced a Japanese photographer Sunday to 1 1/2 years in jail for unintentionally causing the death of a Jordanian security official in a cluster bomb blast at Amman airport last month."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Israel eases some Palestinian travel limits: "The Israeli military eased travel restrictions Sunday and allowed thousands of Palestinian workers to enter the country in an effort to lower tensions and build goodwill ahead of an upcoming U.S.-backed peace summit."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Charity helps pet lions find a new home: "A British wildlife charity is helping to relocate nine lions found abandoned at Uday Hussein's palace in Baghdad."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
War Blog Iraq War Updates
U.S. Major Tries to Sell Iraq Democracy: "Jeff Cantor has spent his adult life selling things - first fax machines, then pharmaceuticals. Now, in postwar Iraq, U.S Army Reserve Maj. Jeff Cantor is trying to sell something else: democracy. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Troops Seek Women's, Baby Products: "What do U.S. soldiers use to cope with the grit and heat of Iraq? Why, cottony women's underthings, diaper ointments, pantyhose, and moist wipes with the aroma of baby powder. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Major Tries to Sell Iraq Democracy: "Jeff Cantor has spent his adult life selling things - first fax machines, then pharmaceuticals. Now, in postwar Iraq, U.S Army Reserve Maj. Jeff Cantor is trying to sell something else: democracy. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Troops Seek Women's, Baby Products: "What do U.S. soldiers use to cope with the grit and heat of Iraq? Why, cottony women's underthings, diaper ointments, pantyhose, and moist wipes with the aroma of baby powder. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
