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Operations
Deployments
US Policy
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Current Operations

Deployments

• PENTAGON / IRAQ VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- The number of U-S forces poised for a possible attack on Iraq is rapidly approaching the 200-thousand mark.
• CLE assumes control of Camp Lemonier for CJTF-HOA USMC News 21 Feb 2003 -- The Command Logistics Element, Marine Central Command, assumed control of base operations here Feb. 9 with the arrival of the last 90 members of the unit.
• PARATROOPER INJURED DURING TRAINING EXERCISE CENTCOM 21 Feb 2003 -- A paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne Division was injured today during a live-fire training exercise here.
• Planes, troops flood through Rhein-Main AFPN 21 Feb 2003 -- Before Sept. 11, 2001, the 726th Air Mobility Squadron here turned nearly a dozen aircraft a day. Currently, the average is 40 aircraft with about 2,200 people transiting the base during what is now considered a "normal" day.
• 'United We Land' - Beachmasters Own the Beach Navy NewStand 21 Feb 2003 -- In the tranquility of an early morning sunrise, U.S. Navy vessels can barely be seen transiting along the watery horizon. Along the shoreline, waves rustle in, and the Sailors of Beach Master Unit 1 (BMU-1), homported in Coronado, Calif., stand ready to receive amphibious landing craft of all types.
• 'America's Flagship' Hosts Distinguished Kuwaiti Guests Navy NewStand 21 Feb 2003 -- In yet another demonstration of the strength of the international coalition supporting the global war on terrorism, five senior Kuwaiti military officials recently spent an evening on 'America's Flagship,' USS Constellation (CV 64). The group of distinguished officials were led by Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Mulla, Chief, Kuwaiti Naval Forces.
• MWSS-371 says farewell, deploys to support war on terrorism USMC News 21 Feb 2003 -- More than 300 Marines and sailors from Marine Wing Support Squadron-371 said tearful farewells to family and friends Feb. 11 as they boarded planes to the Persian Gulf region in support of operations in the Middle East.
• Lejeune units deployed all over the world USMC News 21 Feb 2003 -- Approximately 200 Marines and sailors from 2nd Force Service Support Group departed here Feb. 14 as part of a previously announced deployment of nearly 4,000 Marines to the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility.

US Policy

• Powell Says U.S. Has No Imperial Ambitions in Iraq Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says in the event that military force is needed in Iraq, the military commander will transfer authority as soon as possible to a civilian leadership.
• No War If Saddam Leaves, Powell Tells Russia's RTR TV Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- Concessions Saddam Hussein has made to the UN inspection team have so far been "minor and not that serious," Secretary of State Colin Powell told Russia's RTR Television in an interview February 20 in Washington.
• Powell Discusses Iraq's Noncompliance on German TV Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- In an interview with German television February 20, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States and Britain are still working on the language for a new UN Security Council resolution on Iraq, but the resolution "will clearly point out Iraq's failure to comply with Resolution 1441 and it will point to the responsibility that the UN has to act in the face of that Iraqi lack of compliance."
• New Iraq Resolution Coming Soon, Powell Tells BBC Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says a new United Nations Security Council resolution on Iraq will be ready "in the not too distant future," and that while it may not contain explicit authorization for military action, it will "point to the fact that the United Nations Security Council is supposed to act" in the presence of Iraqi non-compliance with UN weapons inspectors.
• Powell Discusses Future of Iraq with Spanish TV Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- Should Saddam Hussein decide to go into exile, "the United Nations could take a look at the leadership that emerges" and if that new leadership agrees to get rid of all weapons mass destruction and cooperate fully with the United Nations, then "it may be possible for the U.S. to provide direct assistance to that new leadership," Secretary of State Colin Powell said February 20.
• Powell on French TV Defends Use of Force Against Iraq Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says the accusation that the Bush administration has always considered the use of force as a first resort is "offensive." In fact, "when you look at the history of the United States and you look at the history of this administration, we always see war as a last resort."
• U.S. to Offer Resolution on Iraq at U.N. Next Week Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- The Bush administration "next week" will offer at the United Nations Security Council an additional resolution on Iraq -- beyond Resolution 1441 that was approved unanimously by the council in November, a senior administration official told reporters February 20.
• Wolfowitz Says U.S., Allies Would Act to Minimize Iraqi Casualties Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz says that if military operations become necessary against Iraq, the United States and coalition forces will do everything possible to minimize casualties among the Iraqi people.
• U.S., Coalition Forces Called Ready for Iraqi Operations Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says an ample U.S., British and coalition military force is in the Persian Gulf region and ready to go to war against Iraq if President Bush authorizes the use of force.
• Protesters Against Possible War Marching Up the Wrong Road, Wolfowitz Says AFPS 21 Feb 2003 -- It was Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz's turn this week to relay a simple message to Iraq's Saddam Hussein: Disarm or be disarmed; time is running out.
• U.S., Allies Have 'Ample' Forces in Region to Handle Iraq AFPS 21 Feb 2003 -- The United States and its coalition allies have "ample" forces in the Persian Gulf region to take on Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Feb. 20.
• BUSH / IRAQ VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- President Bush Friday telephoned U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan ahead of Washington's plans to introduce a new resolution next week accusing Iraq of violating a U-N resolution demanding that it disarm. The president is expected to discuss the language of that resolution Saturday in a meeting with Spanish leader Jose Maria Aznar.
• IRAQ/DEMOCRATS VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- The possibility of war with Iraq could prove to be a divisive issue for the eight Democrats now running for president in 2004.
• EDITORIAL: RICE ON PROTESTS VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- Millions of people in cities such as Berlin, London, and New York have protested against the possibility of a U.S.-led coalition to force Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to disarm.
• EDITORIAL: POWELL AT THE U-N VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- United Nations Security Council resolution fourteen forty-one returned U-N weapons inspectors to Iraq. What is now needed is for the Iraqi regime to give full, active, and unconditional cooperation to the inspectors. That is not happening.
• BUSH / TURKEY VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- Discussions are continuing between the United States and Turkey over U-S use of Turkish bases in the case of possible military action against neighboring Iraq. U-S officials say they will not increase their offer of 26-billion dollars in economic assistance to Turkey.

United Nations

• UN to order Iraq to destroy banned missiles UN News Centre 21 Feb 2003 -- The chief United Nations weapons inspector, Hans Blix, is expected to order Iraq, possibly as early as today, to destroy its Al Samoud 2 missiles because they could exceed the 150 kilometre-range limit mandated by Security Council resolutions.
• UNMOVIC IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq UNMOVIC/IAEA 21 February 2003
• Tracking Inspections in Iraq RFE/L 21 Feb 2003

Foreign Reactions

• TURKEY / U-S / IRAQ VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- Turkey and the United States appeared closer on Friday to reaching agreement on a deal to allow the deployment of tens-of-thousands of U-S forces on Turkish soil.
• GERMANY/IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- Germany says a war in Iraq is likely to inflame anti-western sentiment in Afghanistan, and could lead Berlin to pull its troops out of the International Security Assistance Force there. German Defense Minister Peter Struck says his government has made plans to evacuate civilians and, eventually, German troops from Afghanistan, if tension becomes too high.
• ITALY / BRITAIN VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday the will of the international community to disarm Saddam Hussein has not weakened. Mr. Blair met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Rome.
• BRITAIN / IRAQ VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw says the standoff over disarming Iraq has entered its final phase. Mr. Straw's comments came during a speech in London, in which he again made his government's case for military action against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
• EDITORIAL: E-U TELLS IRAQ TO DISARM VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- Leaders of the fifteen European Union countries are demanding that Iraq get rid of its weapons of mass destruction and cooperate "immediately and fully" with United Nations weapons inspectors. In a statement also endorsed by thirteen future E-U countries, the leaders said the Saddam Hussein "regime alone will be responsible for the consequences if it continues to flout the will of the international community and does not take this last chance."
• AZNAR/FOX VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- Ahead of his visit with President Bush on Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar met with Mexican President Vicente Fox in Mexico City to discuss the Iraq problem. Both Spain and Mexico currently occupy non-permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. The two leaders agreed on the need to disarm Iraq, but remained apart when it comes to the possible use of force to accomplish that goal.
• NATO Radar Planes Deployed to Turkey Washington File 21 Feb 2003 -- On February 20, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General James L. Jones ordered NATO radar planes based in Geilenkirchen, Germany to deploy to Turkey and to begin flying missions in defense of Turkish airspace by February 27.

News Reports

• Facts about smallpox and anthrax USMC News 21 Feb 2003 -- There have been many misconceptions and rumors that have been following the topic of smallpox and anthrax vaccinations recently.
• Predictions of war: American citizens seem divided on willingness to strike USMC News 21 Feb 2003 -- The majority of prospects in our target market were too young to remember, understand or feel the impact of Desert Storm. With the prediction of war looming on the horizon, it's only natural to reflect on the last time U.S. forces were called up to fight in the deserts of Iraq. Today's military buildup in the Middle East is the largest movement of troops since the Gulf War ended 12 years ago. According to the Veterans Administration, there are 572,520 veterans from that war. As of Jan.13, 2003, President George W. Bush has approved a force of 250,000 military members to deploy to the Gulf region.
• L-A APPROVES ANTI-WAR MEASURE VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- : Los Angeles has become the latest U-S city to oppose war in Iraq without the backing of the United Nations. Local officials in some 90 U-S cities have taken a stand on the issue. Anti-war sympathizers responded to arguments that the city should focus first on its own problems.
• IRAQ / CHILD SOLDIERS VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- As the prospect of an armed conflict with Iraq looms, U-S analysts say the government of Saddam Hussein is forcing thousands of children to prepare for war and, in some cases, join the military. The analysts say this presents the potential for a humanitarian nightmare, as professional soldiers from the United States and other countries could find themselves fighting Iraqi children who have been armed and trained to kill.
• Iraq War Plans and Protests VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- Planning for a possible war against Iraq continued this week. So did anti-war protests. These included a march on Thursday by thousands of people in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Last Saturday millions of people protested in Asia, Europe, the United States and Canada. People in the Middle East and other nations also held demonstrations.
• IRAQI OPPOSITION VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- Iraqi opposition leaders are expected to meet as early as Saturday in northern Iraq to continue discussions on scenarios for Iraq's political future in the event Saddam Hussein is removed from power. They remain divided over the kind of government that should oversee any transition.
• IRAQ / REFUGEES VOA 21 Feb 2003 -- The United Nations refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R, says it needs to prepare for a possible influx of some 600-thousand Iraqi refugees and displaced persons on the move into neighboring countries should war break out. But the agency has so far received no funding to plan for such an emergency.