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Operations
Deployments
US Policy
United Nations
Foreign Reactions
News Reports

Current Operations

• COALITION FORCES TARGET IRAQI MILITARY COMMUNICATION SITES 17 Jan 2003 -- In response to Iraqi acts against Coalition aircraft monitoring compliance of United Nations Security Council Resolutions over Southern Iraq, Operation SOUTHERN WATCH Coalition aircraft used precision-guided weapons today to target two cable repeater sites that are part of Iraq's military air defense command and control system. The sites were located between Al Kut, approximately 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, and An Nasiriyah, approximately 170 miles southeast of Baghdad. The strikes occurred at approximately 1:15 p.m. EST
• NEWS RELEASE ARCENT CFLCC 17 Jan 2003 -- 3rd Infantry reported that at approximately 1 am on January 17th, the crew of an AH64A helicopter from Task Force 2 of the 6 Cavalry Regiment made a precautionary landing South Southwest of Abraq range in Kuwait.

Deployments

• LAAD keeps CentCom skies safe USMC News 17 Jan 2003 -- The helicopter is coming in low from the left side. The gunner presses the IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) switch, the tone comes back unknown. He engages the weapon system by depressing the actuating switch. The sound comes back like music to his ears, the weapon is active, the head seeking and searching for the target
• I MEF conducts MPF offload USMC News 17 Jan 2003 -- Ships from the Maritime Prepositioning Force were offloaded in support of the I Marine Expeditionary Force Jan. 17 at a port in Kuwait

US Policy

• White House Daily Briefing White House 17 Jan 2003
• Daily Press Briefing State Department 17 Jan 2003 -- Interview With German Media on Iraqi Non-Cooperation / Steps Toward Final UN Inspections / Failure to Fully Disclose and Lack of Cooperation / Iraqi Rhetoric and Lack of Veracity / Information Collection and War Crimes Prosecution / Allied Cooperation / Military Cooperation / Secretary Colin L. Powell Activities and Travel
• BUSH/IRAQ VOA 17 Jan 2003 -- The White House says the discovery of empty chemical warheads in Iraq is "troubling and serious." The Bush administration says the warheads were not part of last month's weapons declaration
• Powell Says Iraq Failing to Meet Mandate of U.N. Resolution Washington File 17 Jan 2003-- Iraq is failing to meet the requirements placed upon it by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1441, Secretary of State Colin Powell said January 17 in remarks at the State Department to journalists from nations newly elected as members of the 15-member United Nations Security Council.
• Senator Writes to Saddam Hussein on Fate of Missing Navy Pilot Washington File 17 Jan 2003-- Senator Pat Roberts, the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has written a letter to Iraq's Saddam Hussein requesting a meeting with the Baghdad regime's U.N. representative to learn the fate of Navy pilot Captain Michael Speicher, who was shot down early in the Gulf War.
• Cache of Iraqi Warheads "Serious and Troubling," White House Says Washington File 17 Jan 2003-- Warheads not on declared list that Iraq gave U.N. in December

United Nations

• Tracking the Inspections 17 January 2003RFE/L 17 Jan 2003 -- A team of 17 biological inspectors traveled to a civilian poultry farm and mill, located in Al-Suwayrah, approximately 60 kilometers south of Baghdad, according to the Foreign Ministry.
• UN inspectors visit ice-making factory, defunct chlorine plant UN News Centre 17 Jan 2003 -- United Nations inspectors today continued their probe for evidence of illegal weapons in Iraq, visiting an ice-making factory and a defunct chlorine plant outside of Baghdad
• UNMOVIC IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq UNMOVIC/IAEA 17 January 2003

Foreign Reactions

• U-S/TURKEY BASES VOA 17 Jan 2003 -- The United States is said to be considering scaling back a request to Turkey to base as many as 80-thousand additional troops in the country, in preparation for a possible war with Iraq. Correspondent Nick Simeone reports a team of U-S military experts is in the country inspecting ports and bases as part of an effort to reach an agreement
• IRAQ / SPEECH VOA 17 Jan 2003 -- Iraqi President Saddam Hussein vowed Friday that his country is ready to resist any U-S led attack
• FRANCE / IRAQ VOA 17 Jan 2003 -- United Nations weapons chief Hans Blix says the recent discovery of empty chemical warheads in Iraq is not such a big thing. Mr. Blix met Friday with French President Jacques Chirac, who says France would not support any attack on Iraq without prior U-N approval.
• TURKEY/IRAQ VOA 17 Jan 2003 -- Turkey said Friday it could make only a limited contribution to any war against Iraq, even if military action were authorized by the United Nations
• IRAQ / SPEECH VOA 17 Jan 2003 -- Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has pledged to defeat any country that tries to conquer his nation
• BRITAIN / IRAQ VOA 17 Jan 2003 -- The chief U-N weapons inspector, Hans Blix, says the discovery of chemical weapons warheads in Iraq is not the so-called "smoking gun" that would constitute a material breach of U-N disarmament resolutions. Mr. Blix commented on the discovery as he arrived in Britain for talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair

News Reports

• RAYMOND ZILINSKAS, HEADS CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS NON-PROLIFERATION PROGRAM, MONTEREY INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES VOA 17 Jan 2003 -- The White House is calling the discovery of empty warheads for chemical weapons in Iraq "troubling and serious," and says they are not listed on Iraq's recent weapons declaration to the United Nations. Iraqi General Hossam Mohammed Amin says the rockets were imported 15 years ago, and are too old to be usable
• U.S. Expert Points to Danger of Nuclear-Armed Iraq Washington File 17 Jan 2003-- Pollack says post-war Iraqi reconstruction effort will be crucial
• "Address Saddam's Crimes Against Humanity," by Sermid Al-Sarraf Washington File 17 Jan 2003-- Opposing a War in Iraq is essential because such a war would undoubtedly be detrimental most to the Iraqi people. At the same time, only opposing a war, without anything further, implies that Saddam Hussein should remain in power to perpetuate his well-documented crimes against the Iraqi people and others.