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Operations
Deployments
US Policy
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Foreign Reactions
News Reports

Current Operations

• COALITION FORCES TARGET IRAQI MOBILE SURFACE TO AIR MISSILE SYSTEM 10 Feb 2003 -- In response to Iraqi threats to Coalition aircraft monitoring compliance of United Nations Security Council Resolutions, Operation SOUTHERN WATCH Coalition aircraft used precision-guided weapons today to target an Iraqi military mobile surface to air missile system. The system was located near Al Basrah, approximately 245 miles southeast of Baghdad. The strike occurred at approximately 5:40 a.m. EST.

Deployments

• V Corps Units In Receipt of Deployment Orders to the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility 10 Feb 2003
• DoD Activates Commercial Airlift Reserves for Troops AFPS 10 Feb 2003 -- Commercial airlines have been enlisted by DoD to transport troops and equipment as part of the buildup for possible war with Iraq.
• Truman Visits Slovenia Navy News Stand 10 Feb 2003 -- With picturesque, snow-capped mountains and a crisp blue sky for a backdrop, more than 5,500 Sailors and Marines assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and Carrier Air Wing 3 enjoyed a port visit to Koper, Slovenia, and surrounding towns.
• 24th MEU (SOC) faces changing circumstances USMC 10 Feb 2003 -- The possibility of an extended deployment, fewer port visits, and increased force protection measures - along with the Marine Corps's new stop loss/stop move policy - are some of the circumstances the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) is facing in addition to the threat of war against Iraq.
• Civil reserve air fleet stage I activation announced AMCNS 10 Feb 2003 -- The Secretary of Defense has given authority to the commander, U.S. Transportation Command, to activate Stage I of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to provide the Department of Defense additional airlift capability to move U.S. troops and military cargo.
• Bataan Deploys on Short Notice Navy NewStand 10 Feb 2003 -- Crew members of USS Bataan (LHD 5) were enjoying the holidays when they got word they might deploy. Although the multipurpose amphibious assault ship had recently returned from Operation Enduring Freedom and had barely been out of the yards three months, plans to get underway kicked off immediately.
• 3rd LAAD ensures high readiness with low altitude air defense USMC News 10 Feb 2003 -- Marines from 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, who are attached to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161 (Rein), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) practiced the firing procedures of engaging live targets with a simulated Stinger missile system Jan. 22.
• Biological agents - the unseen enemy USMC News 10 Feb 2003 -- With the recent build up of service members in the Middle East, it is important for military members to be educated on what they should do in case they come in contact with a biological agent.
• Steaming ahead with eyes wide open USMC News 10 Feb 2003 -- The American flag flies in very few places where you can't order a pizza. The USS Boxer, under way in the Pacific Ocean, is one of them.
• Coast Guard admiral visits PSU 309 as they prepare to deploy USCG News 10 Feb 2003 -- Port Security Unit (PSU 309) is hosting a media availability day, Tuesday Feb. 11 between 10-11 a.m. Rear Admiral Ronald Silva, Commander of the Ninth Coast Guard District (the Great Lakes), will visit PSU 309 as the unit prepares to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

US Policy

• BUSH / IRAQ VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- President Bush says the decision by France, Germany and Belgium to block NATO protection for Turkey in the event of war with Iraq harms the alliance. The president says there is still time for NATO to come to Turkey's aid.
• Bush Says Iraqi People Have Suffered Long Enough Washignton File 10 Feb 2003 -- President Bush said February 10 that if war does come to Iraq the United States will help Iraqi civilians with food, medicine and other supplies.
• U.S. "Unexcited" by Iraqi Offer to Allow Surveillance Flights Washignton File 10 Feb 2003 -- In response to Iraq's reported willingness to allow reconnaissance flights and other proposed measures seeming to suggest an increase in cooperation with United Nations weapons inspectors, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher repeated that the issue at hand is Iraq's immediate and full compliance with U.N. resolutions.
• Rumsfeld, Howard Say Iraq Must Disarm Swiftly to Avoid Conflict Washignton File 10 Feb 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Australian Prime Minister John Howard stood side-by-side at the Pentagon February 10 to signal Iraq that "the game is up" and it must disarm swiftly to avoid conflict - with both still expressing hope that force would not be necessary.
• CONGRESS / IRAQ O'NITER VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- A U-S Senate panel Tuesday holds a hearing on rebuilding Iraq after a possible U-S-led war against that country. Lawmakers are concerned the Bush administration has not focused enough attention on the obligations of the United States and the international community after such a conflict.
• Rumsfeld Says NATO Ultimately Will Protect Turkish Ally AFPS 10 Feb 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today downplayed talk of a rift in NATO over Iraq, saying the alliance will ultimately work to protect Turkey should force be necessary against Saddam Hussein.
• Bush: U.S. Will Do What It Can to Protect Iraqi Lives AFPS 10 Feb 2003 -- Should Iraq force the United States to engage in armed conflict, this country will do everything possible to protect innocent Iraqi civilians, President Bush said today.
• Official Gives Background Briefing on Rumsfeld Meetings in Munich Washignton File 10 Feb 2003 -- A senior Defense Department official briefed reporters in Munich February 8 on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's bilateral meetings during the Conference on European Security Policy.
• EDITORIAL: IRAQ'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- Saddam Hussein "remains determined to acquire nuclear weapons." That was Secretary of State Colin Powell's warning to the United Nations Security Council.
• US / IRAQ FLIGHTS VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- The Bush administration says it is unimpressed with the Iraqi decision Monday to allow the use of U-2 spy planes in U-N weapons inspections, saying Baghdad is still far short of the full compliance with the inspections process demanded by the Security Council.
• BUSH/IRAQ VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- President Bush says Saddam Hussein is positioning troops in civilian areas of Iraq. Mr. Bush says, if there is war, the Iraqi leader would blame civilian casualties on coalition forces.

United Nations

• Iraq Says It Will Allow U-2 Flights Washignton File 10 Feb 2003 -- As chief weapons inspectors head back to New York February 10 to report to the U.N. Security Council on two days of meetings with Iraqi officials, it appears that Iraq has given in on two of the minor issues plaguing the inspectors.
• Annan to brief Security Council on UN contingency plans for relief aid to Iraq UN News Centre 10 Feb 2003 -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan will brief the members of the Security Council later this week on the status of contingency planning by the United Nations for humanitarian assistance for Iraq in the event of war.
• Iraq: UN inspectors press forward, visiting missiles sites and storage facilities UN News Centre 10 Feb 2003 -- Just days before the top United Nations disarmament officials are to give an update to the Security Council, UN monitors in Iraq continued their inspections of various sites around the country today.
• Signs Iraqis taking disarmament 'more seriously,' Blix says after talks in Baghdad UN News Centre 10 Feb 2003 -- The top United Nations weapons inspector, Hans Blix, today said he saw signs the Iraqi authorities were taking the disarmament issues "more seriously," reporting that a number of documents concerning biological weapons and missiles have been turned over to UN officials for analysis.
• UN/IRAQ/SURVEILLANCE VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations says Baghdad has accepted U-N weapons inspectors' demands to use surveillance planes over the entire country to aid the inspection process.
• Iraq Provides Some Info, but not Enough to Answer Questions AFPS 10 Feb 2003 -- Iraq provided some additional information to U.N. inspectors over the weekend, but not enough to answer serious questions about chemical and biological weapons materiel.
• IRAQ/INSPECTORS VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- The chief U-N weapons inspector says more active cooperation, not more weapons inspectors, is needed to verify Iraq's claim that it has no weapons of mass destruction. Hans Blix new documents provided by Iraq do not contain new evidence.
• UNMOVIC IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq UNMOVIC/IAEA 10 February 2003
• Tracking Inspections in Iraq RFE/L 10 Feb 2003

Foreign Reactions

• Qatar Support in Terror War Called "Outstanding" Washignton File 10 Feb 2003 -- State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher praised Qatar's support in the war on terrorism and denied allegations accusing the royal family of harboring terrorists.
• PENTAGON/NATO VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says Belgium, France, and Germany made a mistake by blocking NATO plans for defending Turkey in the event of a war with Iraq.
• World Must Unite Against Iraq, Australian PM Howard Says AFPS 10 Feb 2003 -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard said today that if there is "a faint hope" of the Iraq problem being solved peacefully, the entire world must continue to put pressure on Saddam Hussein.
• TURKEY / NATO / IRAQ VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- Turkish leaders are seeking to play down a dispute within the NATO alliance over preparations to defend the country against Iraqi attack in case of a war.
• NATO / IRAQ VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- NATO has again failed to break a deadlock over whether the alliance should begin planning to defend Turkey in case of a war against Iraq.
• FRANCE/RUSSIA VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- France, Germany and Russia have issued a joint declaration calling for strengthening U-N weapons inspections in Iraq. French President Jacques Chirac says there is currently no justification for going to war. Mr. Chirac met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• NATO CRISIS VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- Defense experts say it could take NATO a long time to recover from the divisions over how to deal with Iraq between the United States and Britain on one side, and France and Germany on the other.
• PHILIPPINES/IRAQ VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- Philippine officials say they have intelligence linking an Iraqi diplomat to the Muslim militant group, Abu Sayyaf.
• NATO / IRAQ VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- NATO Secretary General George Robertson says a deadlock within the alliance over whether it should begin preparing for Turkey's defense is serious, but he thinks a solution can be found.

News Reports

• U.S. Condemns Assassination of Senior Kurdish Military Commander Washignton File 10 Feb 2003 -- The United States condemns the assassination of senior Kurdish military commander by a group connected to al-Qaeda network and extends its "deepest condolences" to his family and colleagues, according to State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher.
• PRESS SUMMARY VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- he assassination of a Kurdish parliament member, two other government officials, and two other people Saturday, draws major coverage in the American press. We get a sampling now from V-O-A's___________ with this review of news related to a possible war against Iraq.
• IRAQ WRAP VOA 10 Feb 2003 -- France, Russia and Germany have announced they will press for more United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq, an idea the United States is dismissing as a nonstarter, warning instead that time for inspections is quickly running out. Trans-Atlantic differences between Washington and its key European allies over Iraq appear to be deepening and are now threatening what one U-S official describes as a crisis of credibility within the NATO alliance.