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Operations
Deployments
US Policy
United Nations
Foreign Reactions
News Reports

Current Operations

• COALITION FORCES DROP LEAFLETS IN SOUTHERN IRAQ 24 Feb 2003 -- Coalition aircraft dropped informational leaflets over southern Iraq today. Coalition forces dropped leaflets at approximately 5:00 p.m. EST at several locations near Al Kut, Az Zubayr, Qalat Salih, Salman Az Azhir and AL Basrah. All locations are south of Baghdad. The Coalition dropped a total of 360,000 leaflets over the locations.
• U.S. Army Trains Free Iraqi Forces in Hungary AFPS 24 Feb 2003 -- U.S. soldiers are training Iraqi exiles and expatriates at a Hungarian air base to aid U.S. forces should an invasion of Iraq become necessary.

Deployments

• Navy's Top Leaders Visit USS Abraham Lincoln Navy NewStand 24 Feb 2003 -- USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) hosted two of the Navy's top leaders recently, as it began its eighth month of deployment.
• The "Eagle of the Sea" Lands Marines in Kuwait Navy NewStand 24 Feb 2003 -- USS Tarawa (LHA 1) arrived off the coast of Kuwait in the North Arabian Gulf recently, adding approximately 4,000 more Sailors and Marines to the rapidly growing American force in the region.
• KUWAIT / ARRESTS VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Security forces in Kuwait have arrested three men for allegedly plotting attacks against U-S troops deployed in the Gulf state.
• Latest stop-loss freezes soldiers in deploying units Army News 24 Feb 2003 -- Mirroring the Reserve-Component stop-loss measure designed to keep deploying units manned with soldiers who have trained and worked together as a team, the Army is implementing a unit stop-loss for the active force.

US Policy

• White House Daily Briefing White House 24 Feb 2003
• White House Agency Discusses Plan for Humanitarian Assistance to Iraq AFPS 24 Feb 2003 -- Even if the United States disarms Iraq by force and gives Saddam Hussein the boot, its military campaign's success may be judged on different things: how well and quickly it restores Iraq and leaves.
• Draft Resolution on Iraq Offered by U.S., U.K., Spain Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- Following is the text of a draft U.N. Security Council resolution on Iraqi disarmament, submitted February 24 by Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States
• Negroponte Urges Prompt Adoption of New Iraq Resolution Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- Co-sponsoring a new resolution on Iraq, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said February 24 that "we now believe that it is abundantly clear that Iraq has refused to disarm and has no intention of doing so."
• Wolfowitz Says U.S. Would Seek to Liberate, Not Occupy, Iraq Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- Reaching out to the Iraqi-American community in Dearborn, Michigan February 23, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz made the case for replacing the current Iraqi regime with one that embraces democratic norms.
• U.S. Welcomes Turkish Action on Possible Troop Deployments Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- State Department deputy spokesman Philip Reeker said the United States welcomes the decision by the government of Turkey to seek parliamentary approval for the deployment of U.S. troops in Turkey in the event of war with Iraq.
• Vershbow: Spirit of Cooperation Can Overcome Forces of Disorder Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- "I will not attempt to downplay the conflicts and differences that have arisen within Europe and across the Atlantic on how to deal with the real threat posed by Iraq and Saddam Hussein's defiance of UN Security Council demands that he disarm his country of all weapons of mass destruction," U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow said February 21 in Moscow.
• Bush Says U.S. to Offer New U.N. Iraq Resolution Feb. 24 Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- President Bush, in remarks to U.S. state governors at the White House February 24, said the United States later in the day would introduce at the United Nations Security Council a new resolution on Iraqi disarmament.
• National Security Advisor Explains New Iraq Resolution Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- Shortly after U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix reports to the Security Council March 7 on Iraqi disarmament, the Bush administration "would hope" that the council will vote on the draft Security Council resolution proposed February 24 by the United States, Spain and the United Kingdom, White House National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said.
• BUSH / IRAQ VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- The United States and Britain are introducing another U-N resolution on Iraq today (3:30pm EST). President Bush wants quick action from the Security Council.
• BUSH / IRAQ VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- The United States and Britain plan to introduce another resolution on Iraq at the United Nations later Monday (about 3:30pm EST Monday). President Bush wants quick action from the Security Council.
• Powell: We Must Not Be Afraid of Necessary Conflict AFPS 24 Feb 2003 -- It would be a "bad day" for the United Nations if it refuses to deal with Iraqi noncompliance with U.N. resolutions, Secretary of State Colin Powell said in Beijing today.
• EDITORIAL: THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES WILL ACT VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- If Saddam Hussein does not disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction as required by the United Nations, the United States and other willing nations will disarm Iraq. In the words of President George W. Bush, "If war is forced upon us, we will liberate the people of Iraq from a cruel and violent dictator."
• CHINA/POWELL VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell presented Washington's point of view on the world's two major crises, North Korea and Iraq, in conversations with China's leaders on Monday. Mr. Powell gave no indication that Beijing had changed its views significantly on either question.

United Nations

• UNMOVIC IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq UNMOVIC/IAEA 24 Feb 2003
• Tracking Inspections in Iraq RFE/L 24 Feb 2003
• U.S., Britain, Spain Present New Resolution on Iraq Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- The United States, United Kingdom, and Spain February 24 presented a new draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council declaring that Iraq has failed to take advantage of its final opportunity to disarm.
• U.S., Allies to Introduce New Resolution on Iraq Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- As the United States, together with Great Britain and at least one other key ally, prepared to introduce a new Iraq resolution before the United Nations Security Council, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said there is "very little hope left" that Saddam Hussein will respond to diplomacy.
• Annan appeals to Iraq to disarm and cooperate, says war not inevitable UN News Centre 24 Feb 2003 -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan made a new appeal to Iraq today to disarm and cooperate proactively with United Nations inspectors in their search for banned weapons of mass destruction, saying that even now war was not inevitable.
• Blix, UN monitoring board meet to discuss upcoming report on Iraq inspections UN News Centre 24 Feb 2003 -- The United Nations board that provides guidance to UN disarmament official Hans Blix is meeting today with him to review his upcoming quarterly report to the Security Council on the work of the UN weapons inspectors in Iraq.
• Two plans presented to Security Council for next steps in disarming Iraq UN News Centre 24 Feb 2003 -- The Security Council today was presented with two plans on how to proceed with the disarmament of Iraq, with one calling for bulked up and continued inspections by the United Nations while the other would find that Iraq has failed to take the "final opportunity" afforded to it in resolution 1441.
• UN / IRAQ / RESOLUTION VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- A new resolution declaring Iraq in violation of U-N demands to disarm, is expected to be introduced shortly in the U-N Security Council.
• UN / IRAQ RESOLUTION VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- The United States, Britain and Spain today (Monday) submitted a resolution to the U-N Security Council declaring that Iraq failed to disarm. France, Russia and Germany have countered with their own plan for more inspections.
• UN / IRAQ RESOLUTION VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- The United States, Britain and Spain today (Monday) submitted a resolution to the U-N Security Council declaring that Iraq has failed to disarm. France, Russia and Germany have countered with a plan for more inspections.
• IRAQ INSPECTORS VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Even though Lebanon and Syria say they are in favor of an Iraqi request to delay the upcoming Arab League summit by two-weeks, Arab League officials say the summit will be held Saturday.
• IRAQ/INSPECTORS VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- U-N weapons inspectors are continuing their inventory of Iraq's al-Samoud 2 missiles that have been ordered destroyed despite objections from Baghdad. And South African disarmament experts are in the Iraqi capital trying to help Iraq understand how to adequately satisfy U-N demands.

Foreign Reactions

• GERMANY / FRANCE / IRAQ VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- The leaders of France and Germany have dismissed a move by the United States, Britain and Spain to push for a new resolution in the United Nations Security Council that would authorize military action to force Iraq to disarm. France, Germany and Russia are submitting their own proposal to the Council that they say would boost the efficiency of U-N weapons inspections in Iraq.
• E-U / IRAQ VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw says his country and the United States will wait at least two weeks before they seek a vote on a new United Nations resolution on Iraq. Mr. Straw and other European Union foreign ministers are again disagreeing about the need for such a resolution.
• TURKEY/IRAQ/US VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Turkey's government says it will present a motion to parliament recommending the deployment of thousands of U-S ground forces on Turkish soil in preparation for a possible war against Iraq.
• CONGRESS / ANTI-AMERICAN VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Two key U-S Senate Democrats are expressing concern about a rise in anti-American sentiment around the world as the United States prepares for possible war against Iraq.
• IRAQ/ARAB LEAGUE VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Iraq is asking the Arab League to postpone its scheduled March first summit for two weeks to give Baghdad more time to show it is cooperating with U-N weapons inspectors. But it appears the summit will be held as scheduled.
• NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- Leaders of the 116-nation Non-Aligned Movement have opened their summit in Malaysia urging Iraq to fully cooperate with United Nations weapons inspectors. But they also harshly criticized Western powers for threatening war to disarm Iraq without U-N approval. The summit mood is somber - with speakers saying that the world situation today is as serious as during the Cold War.
• BRITAIN / IRAQ VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- British Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon says Britain remains ready to join the United States in a possible war against Iraq, if Saddam Hussein does not give up suspected weapons of mass destruction.
• E-U / IRAQ VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw says his country and the United States will propose a second resolution on Iraq in the U-N Security Council and they will seek a vote on it in about two-weeks.

News Reports

• PAX AMERICANA VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- The United States today is the only truly global power. Its military reach extends to every corner of the world. Its economic achievements fuel international trade and industry. Its political and cultural traditions and values appeal to people around the world. And while no one questions America's paramount position, many raise the issue of how the United States is trying to transform this unique power into sustainable influence.
• "A Last Chance to Stop Iraq," by Kenneth M. Pollack Washington File 24 Feb 2003 -- The following article by Brookings Institution scholar and author Kenneth Pollack appeared in the New York Times February 21. Permission has been granted covering republication/translation/abridgment in the local press outside the United States.
• IRAQ WRAP VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- The United States, Britain and Spain have introduced a draft resolution at the U-N Security Council declaring Iraq has failed its last chance to comply with international demands to disarm, signaling both countries are ready to disarm Iraq by force. The resolution was presented just as France and Germany, two council members opposed to military action, countered by offering a plan that would give Iraq four more months to fully disarm. A divided Security Council is expected to spend the next two weeks deciding what course of action to take.
• SAQEB MUWEN/IRAQ VOA 24 Feb 2003 -- The United States and Britain have embarked on a final diplomatic push this week to win enough votes to pass a Security Council resolution on the use of force against Iraq. France has resisted the pressure, saying there is no need for another resolution as long as inspections are working. As a permanent member of the Security Council, France could use its veto to block any new resolution.
• Iraqi Justice: 'My Lawyer Asked the Judge to Sentence Me to Death' AFPS 24 Feb 2003 -- Abumuslim Al-Hayder was a political prisoner in Iraq before Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq in 1979. In fact, he was among those Hussein gave amnesty to after taking over the government.