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Operations
Deployments
US Policy
United Nations
Foreign Reactions
News Reports

Current Operations

• COALITION FORCES TARGET IRAQI MOBILE SURFACE TO AIR MISSILE SYSTEM 14 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 two Iraqi military mobile surface to air missile systems. The systems were located near Al Basrah, approximately 245 miles southeast of Baghdad. The strike occurred at approximately 4:00 a.m. EST.
• COALITION FORCES DROP LEAFLETS IN SOUTHERN IRAQ 14 Feb 2003 -- Operation Southern Watch Coalition aircraft dropped 360,000 informational leaflets over southern Iraq today.

Deployments

• 4th Force Recon, 1st Radio ship out USMC News 14 Feb 2003 -- Approximately 220 Marines from the 1st Radio Battalion, and 30 Reserve Marines from 4th Force Reconnaissance Co., departed here for the Central Command area of operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Feb. 9.
• MSSG-24 conducts wash down and maintenance USMC News 14 Feb 2003 -- All professionals share some common understandings. An important one is that cleaning tools and equipment is the first step in their proper care and maintenance. Another is that the best way to be sure your equipment works the next time you need it is to make sure it works before you put it away. The professional warfighters of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) are no different in this regard.

US Policy

• White House Daily Briefing White House 14 Feb 2003
• Rumsfeld Says U.S. Will Stand by Afghans, Would Do the Same for Iraqis AFPS 14 Feb 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told an audience of civic and business leaders that the U.S. remains steadfast to its promise to aid Afghanistan's stability.
• RUMSFELD / IRAQ VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- U-S Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says if war is necessary against Iraq, the United States will lead a coalition that could be larger than the alliance in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
• DoD Confirms Current Method of Handling Remains AFPS 14 Feb 2003 -- The current method of handling the remains of U.S. service members will remain in place, DoD officials said today.

• Remarks to the United Nations Security Council by Secretary Colin L. Powell State Department 14 Feb 2003 -- I want to express my appreciation to Dr. Blix and Dr. ElBaradei for their presentation this morning. They took up a difficult challenge when they went back into Iraq last fall in pursuit of disarmament, as required by Resolution 1441. And I listened very attentively to all they said this morning and I am pleased that there have been improvements with respect to process. I'm pleased that there have been improvements with respect to not having five minders with each inspector, down to something less than five minders with each inspector. But I think they still are being minded, they are still being watched, they are still being bugged. They still do not have the freedom of access around Iraq that they need to do their job well.

• U.S., U.N. Prepare to Meet Humanitarian Needs in Iraq Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- Providing humanitarian assistance will be an "immediate objective," if the United States becomes engaged in a military conflict with Iraq, says Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman.
• Protecting Iraqi Civilians: a Key Issue in Event of Military Action Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- As America prepares for possible war with Iraq, serious attention must be paid to protecting the civilian population from the brunt of military action and from reprisals, ethnic infighting, and other human rights abuses that could follow, according to a panel of experts convened by the Brookings Institution, a private policy research organization.
• Text: Senator McCain Says Containment of Iraq Is Unsustainable Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona says that a policy of containing Iraq to blunt its weapons of mass destruction program is "unsustainable, ineffective, unworkable and dangerous."
• Transcript: Powell Says Military Action in Iraq Would Be "Swift" Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said if, as a "last resort," military action is required to disarm Iraq, the military operation would be "swift," with the purpose of putting in place a "responsible regime" committed to disarming Iraq of weapons of mass destruction.
• Powell Says U.S. Open to Second U.N. Resolution on Iraq Disarmament Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says a second UN Security Council resolution calling for the disarmament of Iraq "would once again express the intent of the Security Council that Iraq come into compliance" and if Iraq still has not complied, Iraq would face "serious consequences."
• Powell Says Iraqi Cooperation Still Inadequate Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking to reporters February 14 following a new Iraq weapons inspectors report to the U.N. Security Council, said he is "not satisfied" that any real progress has been made on Iraqi disarmament.
• CONGRESS / IRAQ VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- US lawmakers have reacted to the findings by chief U-N weapons inspector Hans Blix, who expressed his concern to the Security Council that Iraq still has not accounted for many weapons of mass destruction.
• Iraqi Cooperation a Feint, Powell Says AFPS 14 Feb 2003 -- Both Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei cited increased cooperation from Iraq as inspections proceed, but U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Iraq is playing its same old game of dragging its feet.
• EDITORIAL: IRAQ: A DANGER TO THE WORLD VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- Under the terms of the cease-fire that ended the Persian Gulf War in 1991, Iraq was required to relinquish all weapons of mass destruction and end all programs to develop such weapons. In November, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolution fourteen-forty-one, which gave Iraq one last chance to disarm peacefully or "face serious consequences."
• BUSH / IRAQ VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- President Bush says Iraq will be disarmed "one way or the other." Mr. Bush spoke after U-N weapons inspectors reported to the Security Council that they have not found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but that there are weapons that have not been accounted for.
• POWELL / U-N / IRAQ VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- The Iraq disarmament crisis returned to the United Nations Security Council Friday. U-N weapons inspectors gave another mixed picture of Iraqi compliance, and U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell warned against letting the inspections process be "endlessly strung out."
• EDITORIAL: POWELL ON SADDAM'S BRUTALITY VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has failed to give up his weapons of mass destruction. He harbors terrorists. And he has repeatedly shown "an utter contempt for human life." As U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told the United Nations Security Council on February 5th, "For more than twenty years, by word and by deed, Saddam Hussein has pursued his ambition to dominate Iraq and the broader Middle East using the only means he knows, intimidation, coercion, and annihilation of all those who might stand in his way."
• Byliner: Senator John McCain on Disarming Iraq Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- This column by John McCain, who is a U.S. Senator from Arizona and a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was published in USA Today February 14.

United Nations

• UN Press Release SC/7664 14 Feb 2003 United Nations -- FOLLOWING ARE SUMMARIES OF STATEMENTS MADE TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL TODAY, 14 FEBRUARY. A COMPLETE SUMMARY OF THE MEETING WILL APPEAR AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING AS PRESS RELEASE SC/7664
• The Status of Nuclear Inspections in Iraq: 14 February 2003 Update by IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei 14 Feb 2003 -- My report to the Council today is an update on the status of the IAEA's nuclear verification activities in Iraq pursuant to Security Council resolution 1441 and other relevant resolutions. Less than three weeks have passed since my last update to the Council, on 27 January - a relatively short period in the overall inspection process. However, I believe it is important for the Council to remain actively engaged and fully informed at this crucial time.
• BRIEFING OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL, 14 FEBRUARY 2003 by Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC, Dr. Hans Blix -- Since I reported to the Security Council on 27 January, UNMOVIC has had two further weeks of operational and analytical work in New York and active inspections in Iraq. This brings the total period of inspections so far to 11 weeks. Since then, we have also listened on 5 February to the presentation to the Council by the US Secretary of State and the discussion that followed. Lastly, Dr. ElBaradei and I have held another round of talks in Baghdad with our counterparts and with Vice President Ramadan on 8 and 9 February.
• U.N. Inspectors Present Mixed Picture of Iraqi Compliance Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- Chief U.N. weapons inspectors February 14 continued to present to the U.N. Security Council a mixed picture of Iraqi disarmament: no banned chemical, biological or nuclear weapons found, but continuing doubts about Iraqi's intentions to disarm, evidence of illegal long-range missiles being developed, and stockpiles of deadly chemical and biological weapons still unaccounted for.
• Blix Reports to U.N. Security Council on Iraqi Inspections Washington File 14 Feb 2003 -- Head United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix reported to the U.N. Security Council February 14 that inspectors have found no banned chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Iraq, but he said there are continuing doubts about Iraqi's intentions to disarm. More cooperation from Iraq, he said, would speed up the inspectors' work.
• IRAQ/U-N VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- The top U-N weapons inspector for Iraq says, after 11 weeks of inspections, his teams have found no weapons of mass destruction. But in a status report to the U-N Security Council, Hans Blix says many weapons Iraq had been ordered to destroy cannot be accounted for. Council members still appear to be split on what to do next.
• IAEA chief sees no proof of illegal nuclear activity but says probe continues UN News Centre 14 Feb 2003 -- Reiterating that no evidence of prohibited nuclear activities has been found in Iraq so far, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told the Security Council today that a number of issues still remain under investigation and that no conclusions could be drawn about them.
• No illicit weapons found so far but more 'credible' proof from Iraq needed - Blix UN News Centre 14 Feb 2003 -- After 11 weeks of inspections, United Nations monitors have not found any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but Baghdad still needs to show "credible" evidence that such arms do not exist, a top UN disarmament official told the Security Council today.
• As Security Council hears update of Iraq arms probe, UN monitors continue inspections UN News Centre 14 Feb 2003 -- As the Security Council met in New York to hear an update on the inspections process in Iraq, UN monitors on the ground continued to carry out visits today to various facilities around the country.
• After hearing UN inspectors' reports, Security Council debates next steps in Iraq UN News Centre 14 Feb 2003 -- After being updated by the chief United Nations monitors on the weapons inspection process in Iraq, the Security Council held an open meeting today to debate the next steps for dealing with the disarmament of that country.
• U-N / IRAQ / REACTION VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- A divided U-N Security Council listened to Friday's report from the United Nations' top weapons inspectors.
• UNMOVIC IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq UNMOVIC/IAEA 14 February 2003
• Tracking Inspections in Iraq RFE/L 14 Feb 2003

Foreign Reactions

• Statement by Joschka Fischer, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, at the Public Meeting of the Security Council on the situation between Iraq and Kuwait 14 Feb 2003 -- I would like to thank Dr. Blix and Dr. ElBaradei for their update on the inspections in Iraq. They have briefed us on the substantial progress of their work but also on deficits in the Iraqi regime's cooperation with the inspectors. These deficits must be rectified by Baghdad without delay. Iraq must not be allowed to possess any weapons of mass destruction and must disarm completely. Baghdad must actively and fully cooperate with UNMOVIC and the IAEA and comply unconditionally with the requirements of the relevant resolutions.
• AZIZ/ITALY VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- The Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz insisted in Rome Friday that his country has no banned weapons of mass destruction. He promised greater cooperation with U-N inspectors.
• INDONESIA / HOWARD VISIT VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard has arrived in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, for a short visit to discuss the Iraq crisis. The visit comes as the U-N's chief weapons inspector Hans Blix is expected to make a presentation to the U-N Security Council (Friday).
• POPE / IRAQ VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- Pope John Paul the Second told Iraq's deputy prime minister Friday that Iraq must respect United Nations resolutions and take concrete action to comply.
• SAF / IRAQ VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- South African President Thabo Mbeki says his country will send weapons experts to Iraq to assist Baghdad with its U-N-mandated disarmament. Mr. Mbeki made the announcement during his annual state of the nation address.
• ASIA EMBASSIES / IRAQ VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- A number of Asian governments are pulling out or preparing to pull diplomatic staff out of their embassies in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The measures come as Asian countries brace for a possible U-S led military invasion of Iraq.
• BUSH / TURKEY VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- President Bush met Friday with Turkish Foreign Minister Yasir Yakis to discuss Turkey's request for NATO assistance if there is war in neighboring Iraq. France, Germany and Belgium oppose the move because they say it would make it harder to find a peaceful solution to the dispute over Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction.
• NATO Dispute VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- NATO had to deal this week with a serious disagreement that led to questions about the future of the North Atlantic alliance. At issue was the United States' request for NATO to begin planning to defend Turkey in case of war with Iraq. Three other members -- France, Germany and Belgium -- moved to block that request.

News Reports

• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 6, Number 6 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 14 February 2003 -- BIN LADEN LABELS IRAQI REGIME 'INFIDELS,' BUT CALLS ON MUSLIMS TO AID IT / IRAQ AGREES TO ALLOW U-2 OVERFLIGHTS... / ...AS LEADER SAYS WAR IS 'ALREADY UNDER WAY.' / IRAQI OFFICIAL SAYS BURDEN OF PROOF ON U.S., NOT IRAQ... / ...AND DETAILS IRAQI POSITION / AL-QAEDA LEADER CALLS ARAB ALLIES 'APOSTATES.' / KURDS OBTAIN U.S. COMMITMENT TO STRIKE ANSAR AL-ISLAM / KURDISH PARLIAMENTARIAN GUNNED DOWN BY ANSAR EXTREMISTS / TURKISH PRIME MINISTER AGAIN ASKS NATO FOR ASSISTANCE / IRAQI MISSILE IN VIOLATION / ICG RELEASES REPORT ON KURDISH ISLAMIST GROUPS / U.S. DETAILS PLANS FOR POST-WAR IRAQ / GERMANY, U.S. EXCHANGE VIEWS ON BIN LADEN TAPE / RUSSIA OFFERS PLANE TO UN INSPECTORS / IS NATO IMPASSE A PRELUDE TO SECURITY COUNCIL DEBATE? / SOME FELLOW NATO MEMBERS REFUSE TO BACK MILITARY SUPPORT FOR TURKEY / TURKEY INVOKES NATO'S ARTICLE 4 / A FRENCH-GERMAN PLAN ON IRAQ? / END NOTE: THE SHOW MUST GO ON IN SULAYMANIYAH
• IRAQ/AID VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- Switzerland hosts (is hosting) an international conference in Geneva (Saturday and Sunday) to help prepare to meet humanitarian needs, if there is a war in Iraq.
• THE AL-QAIDA-IRAQ NEXUS VOA 14 Feb 2003 -- The Al-Jazeera television network broadcast an audio tape, purportedly from Osama bin Laden, calling on Iraqis to mount suicide attacks against the United States. U-S officials said the tape demonstrated a burgeoning alliance between the al-Qaida terrorist network and the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein. A week before the bin Laden tape surfaced, Secretary of State Colin Powell laid out the case to the United Nations that Iraq has been aiding al-Qaida