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Operations
Deployments
US Policy
United Nations
Foreign Reactions
News Reports

Current Operations

• COALITION FORCES DROP LEAFLETS IN SOUTHERN IRAQ 04 Mar 2003 -- Coalition aircraft dropped 420,000 informational leaflets over southern Iraq today.
• Camp Patriot Opens Local AAFES Outlet Navy NewStand 04 Mar 2003 -- A joint-service, multinational force of thousands waited in anticipation for the grand opening celebration of a local Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES).
• Ammo secure in desert, Marines remember fallen comrades USMC News 04 Mar 2003 -- A marble clanged inside a can of white spray paint over the sounds of woodcutting inside a construction tent. Marines from Ammunitions Company, 2nd Supply Battalion, 2d Force Service Support Group, made preparations to erect a sign for the ammunition supply point here. The camp is named after Lance Cpl. Barton Carroll, one of their fellow ammunition technicians who was killed last year.

Deployments

• 1st Armored Division Public Affairs Office News Release 1st AD 04 Mar 2003 -- The 1st Armored Division has received orders to deploy to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of the global war on terrorism and to prepare for future contingencies as may be directed.
• Additional Soldiers Prepare to Deploy Fort Riley 04 Mar 2003 -- The remainder of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division and additional soldiers from the 937th Engineer Group received orders this week to prepare to deploy in support of Central Command operations.
• As of March 4, 2003: V Corps Units In Receipt of Deployment Orders to the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility V Corps 04 Mar 2003
• Red Horse dedicates work to building base AFPN 04 Mar 2003 -- Heavy equipment, red hard hats and the shout of 'Ready, go!' break the early morning silence as members of the Red Horse unit start another grueling workday at a forward-deployed location in the Arabian Gulf region.
• Dust storms blow through Kuwait camps Army News 04 Mar 2003 -- Soldiers found themselves cleaning their gear after the third dust storm in as many weeks left a coat of sand covering the camps in northern Kuwait Feb. 25.
• Tracking Terror in the Arabian Gulf Navy NewStand 04 Mar 2003 -- The last time Intelligence Specialist 1st Class (SW) Isadore Bernard Sims II ventured to the Arabian Peninsula, his deployment ended abruptly Oct. 12, 2000, at the Yemen port city of Aden.
• I MEF CG motivates, inspires 15TH MEU (SOC), Royal Marines USMC News 04 Mar 2003 -- British Royal Marines from 3 Commando Brigade and U.S. Marines and Sailors of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) gathered here March 2 for a speech from Lt. Gen. James T. Conway, the commanding general of I Marine Expeditionary Force about what they can expect in the coming weeks.
• `Scarface' conducts joint training with Air Force special forces USMC News 04 Mar 2003 -- Marines of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron-367, Marine Aircraft Group-36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, recently trained with members of the Air Force's 320th Special Tactics Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Group, here.
• Fox up and running, 2d FSSG assets ready USMC News 04 Mar 2003 -- Nestled in a tent city not far from the Iraqi border, Marines and sailors from 2nd Force Service Support Group call the desert plains home as the global war on terrorism continues.

US Policy

• White House Daily Briefing White House 04 Mar 2003
• Pentagon Leadership Discusses Potential War With Iraq AFPS 04 Mar 2003 -- The Pentagon's leadership discussed all aspects of a potential war with Iraq during the Chris Core Show on the ABC Radio network today.
• Powell Tells German TV U.S. Waiting for Inspectors' Report on Iraq Washington File 04 Mar 2003 -- The United States will listen to the next report by United Nations weapons inspectors on March 7 and will then consult with members of the UN Security Council over the weekend before deciding whether to seek a vote on a new resolution on Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell said during an interview in Washington March 4 with German television station RTL.
• Powell Tells French TV He Sees Support for Iraq Resolution Washington File 04 Mar 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell told French television March 4 that he is "increasingly optimistic that if it comes to a vote, we will be able to make a case that will persuade most of the members of the Security Council to vote for the resolution" on Iraq recently proposed by the United States, Britain and Spain.
• White House Report, March 4: No. Korea, Philippines, India, Egypt, Pope, UN Washington File 04 Mar 2003 -- NORTH KOREA'S "RECKLESS BEHAVIOR" DENOUNCED / WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS BOMBING IN PHILIPPINES / BUSH SPEAKS BY PHONE WITH LEADERS OF INDIA, EGYPT / VATICAN REPRESENTATIVE TO MEET WITH BUSH MARCH 5 / BUSH CONTINUES CONFIDENT ON U.N. VOTE ON IRAQ / AID PACKAGE FOR TURKEY CONTINGENT UPON COOPERATION
• Grossman Discusses Turkish Vote on U.S. Troops with Turkish TV Washington File 04 Mar 2003 -- The United States is disappointed that the Turkish parliament voted against allowing U.S. combat troops to be based in Turkey as part of the effort to disarm Iraq, the State Department's Marc Grossman told Turkish television March 3.
• EDITORIAL: U.S. WILL PROVIDE AID TO IRAQIS VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- If Saddam Hussein refuses to get rid of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction as required by the United Nations, a U.S.-led coalition will do it for him. But this will be a war of liberation, not occupation. As President George W. Bush has said, "Liberty for the Iraqi people is a great moral cause and a great strategic goal. The people of Iraq deserve it, and the security of all nations requires it."
• Transcript: Powell on UK TV: Iraq Response Due to Coalition Forces Assembling Washington File 04 Mar 2003 -- Iraq has destroyed some missiles not because United Nations weapons inspections have suddenly become effective, but because "a powerful allied force is assembling in the region, consisting, for the most part, of the U.S., the UK and some other nations," Secretary of State Colin Powell told Britain's ITN broadcast network March 4.
• Transcript: Powell Discusses Iraq, UN Resolution with Russian Television Washington File 04 Mar 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell told Russia's ORT television that after U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei report to the Security Council March 7 on whether Iraq is disarming, the United States will consult with Russia and other Council members and decide "whether or not it is time to seek a vote" on a second resolution.

United Nations

• UNMOVIC IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq UNOMVIC/IAEA 04 Mar 2003
• Tracking Inspections in Iraq RFE/L 04 Mar 2003
• 'Delicate question' of Iraq tops Security Council agenda for March, President says UN News Centre 04 Mar 2003 -- The most "delicate question" currently before the Security Council - that of Iraq - will be taken up on Friday with an open briefing by the chief United Nations weapons inspectors, the current President of the 15-nation body said today.
• Iraq's destruction of missiles 'positive' but still much more to be done - Annan UN News Centre 04 Mar 2003 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called Iraq's destruction of banned Al Samoud 2 missiles and its offer to provide more details on its VX nerve gas and anthrax a "positive development" but repeated the views of UN weapons inspectors that "there's much more to be done."
• ANNAN / IRAQ VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan is calling Iraq's decision to begin destroying one of its missile systems a positive development. But says it will be up to the 15-member Security Council to decide whether this amounts to a step toward avoiding a threatened U-S-led war.
• U-N / IRAQ VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan is calling Iraq's decision to begin destroying one of its missile systems a positive development but says it will be up to the 15-member Security Council to decide whether this amounts to a step toward avoiding a threatened U-S-led war.
• IRAQ / INSPECTORS VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is vowing to defeat any attack on his country. His comments come as Iraq continues to destroy more missiles in an effort to show it is cooperating with U-N weapons inspectors. And Iran is calling on Iraq to allow U-N supervised elections as a way to avoid war and achieve a peaceful transition of power.

Foreign Reactions

• SPAIN / IRAQ VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- The Spanish parliament has approved the government's sponsorship of a draft U-N resolution that would set the stage for a U-S-led war on Iraq. But Prime Minister Aznar's pro-U-S position may cost him dearly in upcoming regional elections.
• ISRAEL / IRAQ VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- Israel today began deploying U-S supplied Patriot anti-missile batteries in the greater Tel-Aviv area, in preparation for the possible conflict in Iraq.
• BRITAIN / IRAQ / U-N VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- The British Foreign Office has been working in recent weeks to win United Nations approval of a second U-N resolution on Iraq. The British government is hoping that U-N approval will strengthen its case against Saddam Hussein with a group that has yet to be persuaded, much of the British public.
• BUSH / POPE OVERNIGHT VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- President Bush meets Wednesday with an emissary of Pope John Paul II who is expected to ask Mr. Bush to back away from possible military action in Iraq. The meeting coincides with the Vatican's call for a day of fasting Wednesday to mark the suffering of Iraqi citizens under U-N sanctions.
• BRITAIN / RUSSIA IRAQ VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- Permanent U-N Security Council members Britain and Russia remain split over the Iraq crisis.
• ISLAMIC CONFERENCE PREVIEW VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- Heads of state and government ministers of the 56-member Islamic Conference are gathering in Qatar for an emergency summit on Iraq. The meeting is the latest in a series of high level gatherings on the subject. The leaders are expected to press for a peaceful solution to the confrontation over Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
• NATO AWACS Planes Continue Monitoring Turkish Airspace Washington File 04 Mar 2003 -- Two NATO E-3A AWACS planes, deployed from Geilenkirchen, Germany on February 26, continue to fly daily missions from their forward operating base in Konya, Turkey, providing air surveillance over Turkish airspace and early warning for defensive purposes.

News Reports

• AFRICA / URANIUM VOA 04 Mar 2003 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed it is actively investigating allegations that Iraq, in recent years, attempted to import uranium from Niger.
• Kennedy Argues Against War with Iraq Washington File 04 Mar 2003 -- Senator Edward Kennedy argued against war with Iraq at this time, in a March 4 speech on U.S. foreign policy to the United Methodist Church annual conference in Washington.
• War with Iraq Is All But Sure, Dennis Ross Says Washington File 04 Mar 2003 -- War with Iraq is now all but certain, Dennis Ross says.