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Operations
Deployments
US Policy
United Nations
Foreign Reactions
News Reports

Current Operations

• COALITION FORCES TARGET IRAQI MOBILE AIR DEFENSE RADAR AND SURFACE TO SURFACE MISSILE SYSTEMS 18 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 mobile air defense early warning radar and a mobile multiple-rocket system. Both the mobile air defense radar and the rocket system were located near Al Basrah, approximately 250 miles southeast of Baghdad. The strikes occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. EST.
• PENTAGON/IRAQ VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- President Bush has not decided whether to attack Iraq, launching a new Gulf war to punish Baghdad for its failure to comply with U-N disarmament resolutions. But a war of sorts is already under way.

Deployments

• IRAQ / U-S NAVY / WARPLANES VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- If the United States launches a military campaign against Iraq, U-S Navy warplanes are expected to play a bigger role than they did during the 1991 Gulf War.
• IRAQ / U-S NAVY VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- The U-S military buildup in the Gulf now includes the biggest concentration of American aircraft carriers in the region since the 1991 Gulf War.
• Security Company mans the post USMC News 18 Feb 2003 -- As far as the eye can see, strong gusts of wind scatter sand in all directions along the lonely, desert plains. Glimpses of kevlar-helmeted and flak-jacketed warriors can be seen, as they stand firm on the distant horizon.
• 1/25 MOPP-s up the "Big 7" USMC News 18 Feb 2003 -- Reserve Marines with 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, 2nd Marine Division began a rigorous training schedule here Feb. 10 after activating in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and other contingencies that may arise.
• Commander, 6th Fleet Welcomes TR to the Med Navy NewStand 18 Feb 2003 -- Vice Adm. Scott Fry, Commander, 6th Fleet, visited USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Feb. 14 to welcome Rear Adm. John C. Harvey and the TR battle group to the theater.

US Policy

• White House Daily Briefing White House 18 Feb 2003
• Bush Says Protests Won't Change His Iraq Policy Washington File 18 Feb 2003 -- President Bush says war with Iraq is his last choice, but it's preferable to doing nothing if Saddam Hussein will not disarm his country of weapons of mass destruction as required by the United Nations.
• Bush Says He Disagrees with Protestors on Threat from Iraq Washington File 18 Feb 2003 -- Responding to questions about the effect of weekend worldwide protests against a possible war in Iraq, President Bush said some do not view Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as a risk to peace, but "I respectfully disagree."
• U.S. Working With Allies for Another U.N. Resolution on Iraq AFPS 18 Feb 2003 -- The United States is working with its allies to get another resolution from the U.N. Security Council on Iraq, President Bush said today.
• BUSH IRAQ VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- President Bush says he will not be deterred by global anti-war demonstrations or opposition among some allies to using force to disarm Iraq. Mr. Bush says Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein must comply with U-N disarmament demands and will be held to account.
• EDITORIAL: PHILIPPINES EXPELS IRAQI VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- The Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein denies that it has ties with terrorist groups like al-Qaida. But as U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said when he addressed the United Nations Security Council earlier this month, "These denials are simply not credible."
• BUSH IRAQ VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- President Bush says he will not be deterred by anti-war demonstrations or opposition among some allies to the possible use of force to disarm Iraq. Mr. Bush says Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein must be held to account.

United Nations

• U-N / IRAQ VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- The United States and Britain are weighing whether to introduce a second resolution authorizing military force against Iraq in the Security Council. Meanwhile the United Nations debates the next step to take in the Iraqi crisis.
• UN inspectors carry out first U-2 surveillance flights in Iraq UN News Centre 18 Feb 2003 -- United Nations inspectors have carried out their first U-2 surveillance flights over Iraq, adding aerial inspections to their land searches for evidence of banned weapons of mass destruction.
• In Europe, Annan says Iraq inspections to go on until Security Council decides otherwise UN News Centre 18 Feb 2003 -- United Nations inspectors will carry on with their work until the Security Council decides otherwise, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today in Rome, stressing that there is no time limit in the Council's resolutions and that a debate is going on in the 15-nation body about how much more time is needed.
• IRAQ/INSPECTIONS VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- Iraqi scientists say they are ready to be interviewed by U-N weapons inspectors, but only if the meetings are tape recorded.
• IRAQ / U-2 VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- Iraq has made good on its pledge to allow U-2 reconnaissance planes to fly over its territory in support of the weapons inspection process.
• UNICEF/IRAQ VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- The U-N Children's Fund says health workers in Iraq will begin immunizing more than four-million children against polio next week. This will be followed in early March by a measles campaign.
• UNMOVIC IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq UNMOVIC/IAEA 18 February 2003
• Tracking Inspections in Iraq RFE/L 18 Feb 2003

Foreign Reactions

• UN Press Release SC/7665 18 Feb 2003 -- FOLLOWING ARE SUMMARIES OF STATEMENTS IN TODAY'S SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON IRAQ.

• Security Council begins hearing from more than 60 countries on disarmament of Iraq UN News Centre 18 Feb 2003 -- The ongoing debate over how to proceed with the disarmament of Iraq continued today as the Security Council convened an open meeting to hear the views of some 60 non-Council members on the matter.
• Security Council hears views of more than 60 countries on disarmament of Iraq UN News Centre 18 Feb 2003 -- The ongoing debate over how to proceed with the disarmament of Iraq continued today as the Security Council convened an open meeting to hear the views of some 60 non-Council members on the matter.
• TURKEY/IRAQ VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- Turkey's government has delayed a parliamentary vote that would have permitted the deployment of thousands of U-S troops in Turkey in preparation for an eventual war against Iraq.
• BRITAIN / IRAQ VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking to reporters in London, says Iraqi President Saddam Hussein continues to be in breach of U-N resolutions calling for Baghdad to disarm. But Mr. Blair says he wants a second U-N resolution before Britain goes to war against Iraq.
• ANNAN/ITALY/POPE VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan met the Pope and Italian officials in Rome Tuesday to discuss the Iraqi crisis. Mr Annan said there is still hope of reaching a peaceful solution, but Iraq must heed the demands of the international community that it disarm.
• CHIRAC / E-U CANDIDATES VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- Future members and candidates for membership in the European Union have endorsed a declaration calling for Iraq to disarm, but advocating more time for U-N weapons inspectors. The predominantly Eastern European countries acted despite criticism by French President Jacques Chirac.
• NATO Agrees on Measures to Support Turkey Washington File 18 Feb 2003 -- After lengthy discussions, NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, announced on February 16 that the Alliance had reached agreement on steps to help defend Turkey from possible military attack by Iraq.
• FRANCE / CHIRAC VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- President Jacques Chirac may be facing criticism in Europe and the United States, but many French are giving their leader high marks for his anti-war stance on Iraq. A new survey shows the popularity rating of France's conservative president is soaring.
• AUSTRALIA / HOWARD / IRAQ VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard is sticking with his support of U-S policy towards Iraq, despite anti-war protests by hundreds of thousands of Australians over the past few days. Mr. Howard says backing away from a war with Iraq won't stop terrorist attacks.

News Reports

• L-A / WAR RESOLUTION VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- Officials in many U-S cities are debating the use of force in Iraq, if it does not comply with U-N resolutions to surrender its weapons of mass destruction. The local actions are symbolic, but reflect a debate that is taking place around the United States.
• IRAQ ETHNIC GROUPS VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- The Iraqi government has been responsible for creating deep regional and ethnic fractures that could erupt into civil war if President Saddam Hussein is deposed in an allied military action. Analysts and Iraqi dissidents are concerned about this possible scenario and are calling for a plan that would reconcile the country's ethnic groups.
• ANTI-WAR DEMOS VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- U-S newspaper editorial writers have been watching the world-wide anti war protests and opinion is mixed as to whether this is the best time for a U-S led attack to disarm Iraq.
• WILLIAM HOPKINSON VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- different argument in favor of war against Iraq besides the threat of weapons of mass destruction has been emerging over the past few months. The argument is that removing Saddam Hussein from power could help bring a wholesale change for the better in the political, economic and social environment of the Middle East.
• ADELMAN IRAQ VOA 18 Feb 2003 -- A Swiss official has warned international donors that millions of Iraqis could face a catastrophic situation in a possible war. The Swiss development aid chief, Walter Fust, said a war could lead to the worst catastrophe in years if the U-N monitored oil-for-food program for Iraq collapses. Mr. Fust said the Iraqi people are in a far more vulnerable condition now than they were at the end of the 1991 Gulf War. Mr. Fust spoke Sunday at the end of a two-day conference in Geneva on the humanitarian consequences of war in Iraq.