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February 2000

• U-S / IRAQ OIL Voice of America 29 February 2000 -- A new U-S government report says Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is spending billions of dollars on luxury palaces and imported whiskey, while at the same time complaining about a lack of food and medicine for his people.
• IRAQ OIL OUTPUT Voice of America 29 February 2000 -- A former Iraqi oil official says Iraq has the potential to drastically increase its oil output - possibly glutting world markets.
• Iraqi AAA fired at ONW aircraft UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (29 Feb 00) -- Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) from a site west of Bashiqah.
• ONW aircraft respond to Iraqi AAA fire UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (28 Feb 00) -- Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) from a site west of Bashiqah at ONW aircraft conducting routine enforcement of the Northern No-Fly Zone.
• CLINTON - IRAQ Voice of America 25 February 2000 -- President Clinton says his administration is seeking ways to sell goods to Iraq to benefit the Iraqi people, without allowing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to rebuild his weapons of mass destruction.
• U.S. WILL CONTINUE SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ White House Report, Friday, February 25, 2000 -- "There is absolutely no shift in U.S. policy on sanctions to Iraq. Saddam Hussein knows what he needs to do to get out from under U.N. sanctions against his country and there will be no shift until he understands that and acts on it."
• PRESS BRIEFING BY JOE LOCKHART February 25, 2000 -- There is absolutely no shift in U.S. policy on sanctions to Iraq. We believe that Saddam Hussein knows what he needs to do to get out from under U.N. sanctions against his country. And there will be no shift until he understands that and acts on it.
• U-S-IRAQ Voice of America 24 February 2000 -- Scott Ritter insisted economic sanctions have not accomplished their purpose of removing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. But he says they have helped impoverish Iraq, leading to widespread disease and a sharp increase in infant mortality.
• GULF WAR FOX TAPES 'DEFINITELY' DO NOT SHOW POSITIVE CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS February 24, 2000 -- Based on interviews with Fox crewmembers, commanders, medical and chemical staff in the 24th Infantry Division; and the analysis of the Fox tapes by mass spectrometry and chemical warfare experts, investigators assess that this Fox definitely did not detect chemical warfare agents during these incidents.

• Saddam Hussein's Iraq
  Prepared by the U.S. Department of State (updated 2/23/00)

• Iraqis fire missiles at ONW aircraft UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (20 Feb 00) -- Iraqi forces fired multiple surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) from a site north of Mosul.
• Iraqis fire AAA at ONW aircraft UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND (19 Feb 00) Coalition aircraft responded to the Iraqi attack by dropping ordnance on elements of the Iraqi integrated air defense system.
• COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE IRAQI MILITARY TARGETS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND FEBRUARY 19, 2000 -- U.S. Navy F/A-18 "Hornet" and F-14 "Tomcat," U.S. Air Force F-16 "Fighting Falcon" and British Royal Air Force GR-1 "Tornado" aircraft used precision guided munitions to strike Iraqi military radar and anti-aircraft artillery sites in Southern Iraq.
• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 3, Number 7 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 18 February 2000 -- 'AZIZ SAYS BAGHDAD READY FOR PLURALISM / IRAQI ANTI-SANCTIONS EFFORT GAINS GROUND IN ASIA / UN AID COORDINATOR FOR IRAQ RESIGNS / IRAQ, ARMENIA TO EXCHANGE AMBASSADORS / DCT MOVEMENT OUTLINES ITS GOALS / IRAQ TO SETTLE PALESTINIANS IN KURDISTAN / U.S. OFFICIAL WARNS BAGHDAD AGAINST CROSSING 'RED LINES' / MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN KRG A "FARCE". / U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT DELEGATION VISITS KURDISTAN / IRAQ LIBERATION ACTION COMMITTEE FORMED IN WASHINGTON / ASSYRIAN PATRIARCH OPPOSES SANCTIONS
• IRAQ SANCTIONS Voice of America 16 February 2000 -- Another top United Nations humanitarian official in Iraq has resigned amid mounting disagreement about the impact of economic sanctions on Baghdad.
• US-IRAQ SANCTIONS Voice of America 16 February 2000 -- Seventy members of Congress are calling on the Clinton Administration to lift economic sanctions against Iraq. But the word from the State Department is that U-S policy on the Iraqi sanctions issue is not likely to change.
• IRAQ/U-N Voice of America 13 February 2000 -- The United Nations has confirmed the head of its humanitarian program in Iraq has asked to step down by the end of March.
• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 3, Number 6 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 11 February 2000 -- BLIX TO START WORK ON 1 MARCH / AN IRAQI SHIFT ON RESOLUTION 1284? / BAGHDAD SEEKS OPEC REINTEGRATION / UAE: IRAQ'S GULF ACCESS KEY TO STABILITY / IRAQ INTENSIFIES ACTIVITY IN NORTH AFRICA / OPPOSITION LEADER ON AL-DA'WA PARTY / RCC PASSES NGO LAW / BAGHDAD PUSHES INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH / ISLAMIC POLITICS IN KRG HIGHLIGHTED / TURKS LINK ISLAMIC UNITY MOVEMENT TO HIZBULLAH, BIN LADEN / PUK VICTORIOUS IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS / UN GROUP TURNS DOWN ANC
• PRESS BRIEFING BY JOE LOCKHART February 10, 2000 -- We've made very clear our interest in getting a robust weapons inspection regime resumed in Iraq. Iraq has a choice to make. They have made it very clear in the international community they want to get out from under the sanctions, the crippling sanctions that they face.
• DoD News Briefing February 10, 2000 -- Most recently, if you go back a month or so ago, we were in Ramadan. And our guess would be that that would be one of the motivations for the sharply decreased level of activity. But it is just a guess. And to a great extent, we've seen previous levels of activity resume. We know that the buildings -- some of the buildings have been rebuilt. But it's a heck of a lot easier to rebuild a building than it is the complex facilities that might go inside those buildings to construct, to assemble, to test any sort of weapons of mass destruction.
• Iraqis fire upon and target ONW aircraft US EUROPEAN COMMAND February 10, 2000 -- Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) from sites west of Bashiqah and near Mosul. The Iraqi forces also targeted ONW aircraft with a surface-to-air missile (SAM) radar site near Tall Kayf. Coalition aircraft responded by dropping ordnance on the integrated air defense system.
• COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE IRAQI MILITARY TARGETS US CENTRAL COMMAND February 9, 2000 -- U.S. Navy F/A-18 "Hornet" and F-14 "Tomcat," U.S. Air Force F-16 "Fighting Falcon" and British Royal Air Force GR-1 "Tornado" aircraft used precision guided munitions to strike Iraqi military radar sites, anti-aircraft artillery sites and a surface-to-air missile site in southern Iraq.
• ONW aircraft respond to Iraqi AAA fire US EUROPEAN COMMAND February 9, 2000 -- Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) at coalition aircraft from sites near Bashiqah. Coalition aircraft responded by dropping ordnance on the integrated air defense system.
• Iraqis fire at ONW aircraft US EUROPEAN COMMAND February 8, 2000 -- Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) at coalition aircraft from sites west of Bashiqah. . Coalition aircraft responded by dropping ordnance on the integrated air defense system.
• Evidence Supports Conclusion Volgoneft-147 Smuggled Illegal Iraqi Oil U.S. FIFTH Fleet Office of Public Affairs February 7, 2000 -- High resolution, capillary gas analysis of oil specimens establish the cargo as being of Iraqi origin. Documents and data from Volgeneft-147 also support the conclusion of the oil analysis.
• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 3, Number 5 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 4 February 2000 -- U.S. CONCERNED ABOUT IRAQI WEAPONS BUILDUP / PENTAGON, INC OFFICIALS MEET IN LONDON / U.K.'S LABOR PARTY UPSET BY COST OF IRAQ CAMPAIGN / AUSTRIA, IRAQ INCREASE TRADE COOPERATION / 'ARMED CLASHES' AMONG BA'TH MEMBERS IN SOUTH IRAQ / TALABANI SUPPORTS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS / BOMB INCIDENTS IN NORTHERN IRAQ CONTINUE / MEDICINES REACHING KURDISH POPULATION / FIRST WORLD CONGRESS OF YEZIDIS HELD IN GERMANY
• ONW Aircraft Fired Upon US EUROPEAN COMMAND February 3, 2000 -- Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) at coalition aircraft from sites near Bashiqah. Coalition aircraft responded to the Iraqi attack by dropping ordnance on elements of the Iraqi integrated air defense system.
• RUSSIA / IRAQ TANKER Voice of America 03 February 2000 -- Russia has denied that a tanker intercepted by U-S ships in the Gulf of Oman was carrying Iraqi oil, and is demanding the vessel's immediate release.
• U-S-RUSSIAN TANKER Voice of America 03 February 2000 -- U-S Navy ships have stopped and diverted a Russian tanker in the Persian Gulf to determine if it was violating a United Nations ban on exporting Iraqi oil.
• DoD News Briefing February 03, 2000 -- The cargo of the vessel was gas oil. It is a refined petroleum product. A sample was taken of that gas oil and from that you can discern locations in the world from where a particular type of gas oil is taken from the Earth.
• HOW DANGEROUS IS IRAQ? Voice of America 03 February 2000 -- Since December 1998, Iraq has not allowed U-N weapons inspectors into the country. Now, observers are worried that Iraq has used the past year to reconstitute its military capabilities. Iraq has responded to the U-N Security Council plan by saying that it will not accept the new U-N weapons inspectors.
• IRAQ/WEAPONS Voice of America 01 February 2000 -- Senior U-S officials say Iraq is rebuilding sites hit by American and British warplanes in December, 1998 - targets that were suspected of producing weapons of mass destruction.
• DoD News Briefing Tuesday February 1, 2000 -- There is no firm evidence that they have been able to reconstitute their weapons-of-mass-destruction program. We do know that they have rebuilt buildings; we don't know what goes on in those buildings. We know that some of the machinery we destroyed, such as very large sophisticated metal presses in their missiles manufacturing or repair facilities, are costly and would be very difficult, if not impossible, for them to replace or rebuild under sanctions.