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Operations
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Current Operations

• COALITION FORCES TARGET IRAQI SURFACE TO SURFACE MISSILE SYSTEM 11 Feb 2003 -- In response to Iraqi threats to Coalition forces monitoring compliance of United Nations Security Council Resolutions, Operation SOUTHERN WATCH Coalition aircraft used precision-guided weapons today to target an Iraqi military surface to surface missile system. The system was located near Al Basrah, approximately 245 miles southeast of Baghdad. The strike occurred at approximately 11:00 a.m. EST.

Deployments

• Reservists in Long Island Activated USMC News 11 Feb 2003 -- The stark reality of current events touched this sleepy Long Island hamlet Saturday when Marine Reservists of A Company, 6th Communications Battalion here received orders to activate. They join the thousands of citizen-Marines at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., who have been called to service and are awaiting further orders.
• Ammunition finds its way from Kuwaiti port to Marines' hands USMC News 11 Feb 2003 -- Thousands of pounds of munitions were offloaded from a ship in a port here Feb. 2, by Sailors with Navy Cargo Handling and Port Group and contracted civilians aboard the S.S.Cape Jacob.
• ADDITIONAL 13TH CORPS SUPPORT COMMAND UNITS DEPLOY TO CENTCOM III Corps 11 Feb 2003 -- The 13th Corps Support Command, which provides logistical and medical support units to III Corps, will deploy a Medical Evacuation Headquarters and an Air Evacuation Company on Wednesday (Feb. 12).
• Two Navy cargo ships to load in Jacksonville for war on terrorism Military Sealift Command 11 Feb 2003 -- Two of the U.S. Navy's largest noncombatant ships will load Army combat equipment in Jacksonville, Fla., today. USNS Dahl and USNS Bob Hope - large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships - are loading military cargo for the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky., as part of the repositioning of U.S. forces in support of the president's global war on terrorism. Cargo includes Army Blackhawk, Apache, Kiowa and Chinnook helicopters and a variety of wheeled vehicles. Together, the two have a capacity of more than 600,000 square feet of military cargo.

US Policy

• White House Daily Briefing White House 11 Feb 2003
• Testimony of Douglas J. Feith Under Secretary of Defense for Policy before the Committee on Foreign Relations U.S. Senate 11 Feb 2003 -- "I am pleased to have this opportunity to talk with you today about efforts underway in the Defense Department and the U.S. Government to plan for Iraq in the post-conflict period, should war become necessary." If U.S. and other coalition forces take military action in Iraq, they will, after victory, have contributions to make to the country's temporary administration and the welfare of the Iraqi people. It will be necessary to provide humanitarian relief, organize basic services and work to establish security for the liberated Iraqis
• U.S., Coalition Plan to Restore Post-War Iraq AFPS 11 Feb 2003 -- Once Saddam Hussein's regime is history, the United States and its coalition partners will pitch in to help the Iraqi people restore their country, Douglas J. Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy, said on Capitol Hill today.
• Powell: If Force Is Used, It Will Be "In the Most Measured Way" Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- If the United States and other members of the international community feel that Iraq can only be disarmed through the use of force, Secretary of State Colin Powell said it would be done "in the most measured way ... not for the purpose of hurting the Iraqi people, but for the purpose of dealing with a regime that simply is irresponsible."
• Iraq, Al-Qaeda "Bound By A Common Hatred," Says Boucher Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said the audiotape believed to be Osama bin Laden that was aired February 11 by the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera network supports U.S. allegations of links between the al-Qaeda network and Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
• Text: U.S. Would Have Five Objectives in Post-War Iraq, Official Says Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- If there is a war with Iraq, "the United States would approach its post-war work with a two-part resolve: a commitment to stay and a commitment to leave," says Douglas Feith, under secretary of defense for policy.
• Grossman: U.S. Would Stay in Iraq as Long as Necessary Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- The United States is committed to stay in Iraq as long as necessary to disarm the country of its weapons of mass destruction and to launch the reconstruction process, "but not one day more," says Marc Grossman, under secretary of state for political affairs.
• U.N. Security Council Unity Critical to Iraq Solution, Says Grossman Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is more likely to comply with United Nations Resolution 1441, calling for the removal of weapons of mass destruction from his country, if he sees the U.N. Security Council "unified" in its insistence that he quit stalling and do so quickly, said Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman.
• BUSH / IRAQ / NATO VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- The White House says President Bush still believes he will win support from NATO allies and U-N members for a second Security Council resolution on Iraq. (Permanent Security Council members) Russia, China and France want to give more time to U-N inspectors in Iraq.
• Powell-Turkey-Nato VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday he's hopeful of an early end to the deadlock in NATO over military support to Turkey in the event of war with Iraq. He also told senators the U-N Security Council is approaching a "moment of truth" over Iraq's failure to account for weapons of mass destruction.
• CONGRESS / IRAQ VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- Bush administration officials Tuesday came under fire from U-S lawmakers for not focusing enough attention on plans to rebuild Iraq, after a possible war against that country.
• Powell / Iraq / Terror VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says he has seen a transcript of a new message, apparently from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, speaking of a "partnership" between his terror organization and Iraq. He says it underscores the need to deal "once and for all" with Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction.
• EDITORIAL: BUSH STATEMENT ON IRAQ VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- For a dozen years, Iraq has violated United Nations Security Council resolutions requiring it to account for and eliminate all programs for weapons of mass destruction. And those violations continue today. That is clear from U-N weapons inspections and intelligence information collected by the United States and other countries.
• BUSH IRAQ VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- The White House says it is still hopeful the United Nations will back strong action to disarm Iraq, and says a second security council resolution is possible.
• "Indulgence Undermining U.N.," by Representative Vito Fossella Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- Something is amiss at the United Nations. With more than 180,000 troops assembled in the Persian Gulf and compelling new evidence proving that Saddam Hussein is in material breach of U.N. resolutions on disarmament, the world body is prepared to award two of the world's most notorious and despotic regimes with leadership positions.
• EDITORIAL: VILNIUS TEN SUPPORTS ACTION VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- Ten Eastern European countries have declared that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is in "material breach" of the United Nations Security Council resolutions requiring him to disarm. A statement issued February 5th said: "Our countries understand the dangers posed by tyranny and the special responsibility to defend our shared values. . . . The trans-Atlantic community, of which we are a part, must stand together to face the threat posed by the nexus of terrorism and dictators with weapons of mass destruction."

United Nations

• UN interview of Iraqi scientist falls through when he seeks alternate format UN News Centre 12 Feb 2003 -- United Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq who sought to interview one of the country's biological scientists did not hold the discussion after he objected to the format, a UN spokesman in Baghdad reported today.
• UNMOVIC IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq UNMOVIC/IAEA 11 February 2003
• Tracking Inspections in Iraq RFE/L 11 Feb 2003

Foreign Reactions

• NATO RIFT GROWS VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- The U-S press is largely critical of the decision by France, Germany and Belgium to block NATO plans to fortify Turkish defenses in case of a war in Iraq. The concern voiced in editorial columns is over what they see as the growing rift between key members of NATO.
• BRITAIN-IRAQ VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- Britain's Foreign Secretary says more U-N weapons inspectors would not compensate for the lack of cooperation from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is critical of the French-German-Russian plan to boost the weapons inspection process in Iraq.
• NATO / IRAQ VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- NATO ambassadors will meet again Wednesday after failing for the second day in a row to break an impasse over whether the alliance should begin planning for the defense of Turkey in the event of a war in Iraq. NATO officials are calling the deadlock one of the worst crises in the history of the 54-year-old alliance.
• FRANCE / PUTIN VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin won approval in Paris for backing a French-German call for a diplomatic solution to the Iraqi crisis. But protesters have been reminding the Russian leader about problems he has back home.
• IRAQ /U-N TROOPS VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- A senior Iraqi official says there is no way Baghdad would accept the presence of U-N peacekeepers as part of a plan to avoid war against Iraq.

News Reports

• Bush Sends Eid Al-Adha Greetings to Muslims Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush sent Muslims around the world their greetings on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.
• Powell: Bin Laden to Transmit Message to Iraqi People AFPS 11 Feb 2003 -- Osama bin Laden -- or someone "we believe to be bin Laden" -- will be sending a message of solidarity to the people of Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell advised the Senate this morning.
• TED GALEN CARPENTER, CATO INST VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- NATO ambassadors have been holding informal talks in Brussels as they seek to resolve a deadlock over military support to Turkey in the event of a war in Iraq. Alliance officials Tuesday repeatedly postponed a scheduled formal meeting of NATO's decision-making North Atlantic Council, as the ambassadors continued their informal discussions.
• Text: Uncertainty on Iraq Limits Economic Growth, Greenspan Says Washington File 11 Feb 2003 -- The near-term outlook for the U.S. economy depends to a large degree on the resolution of uncertainties over a possible war with Iraq, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan says.
• TUESDAY'S EDITORIALS VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- Editorial attention in the U-S press is focused on the growing rift within NATO over a potential war with Iraq. Other editorials deal with a proposed extension of a domestic security law that many papers oppose. There are also comments about Israel forming a new coalition government, and possible democratic reforms in Saudi Arabia.
• OSAMA BIN LADEN / IRAQ VOA 11 Feb 2003 -- A tape purportedly recorded by al-Qaida terror leader Osama bin Laden was broadcast Tuesday night on the al-Jazeera Arab satellite station calling for Muslims to support Iraq in the event of war with the United States.