• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Deployments
US Policy
United Nations
Foreign Reactions
News Reports

Current Operations

• COALITION FORCES CONTINUE INFORMATION CAMPAIGN IN SOUTHERN IRAQ 16 Mar 2003 -- Coalition aircraft dropped 240,000 informational leaflets over southern Iraq today.

Deployments

US Policy

• Bush Says March 17 "Moment of Truth" for the World Washington File 16 Mar 2003 -- President Bush says the diplomatic track to disarm Iraq's Saddam Hussein is ending, and "crucial days lie ahead" for the world.
• Cheney Says U.S. in Final Stages of Diplomacy With Iraq AFPS 16 Mar 2003 -- Tim Russert of NBC's "Meet the Press" cut right to the chase: "How close are we to war?" was the first question he asked Vice President Dick Cheney on today's edition of the news show.
• Powell Says Saddam Hussein Playing a Game Washington File 16 Mar 2003 -- Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is "playing a game at this point" with those seeking to disarm him, and is only offering some compliance with U.N. Security Council disarmament demands because of the pressure created by the buildup of military power in the region around Iraq, says Secretary of State Colin Powell.
• US / MIDEAST DIPLOMATS VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- The United States has ordered the departure of non-essential diplomatic personnel and all diplomatic family members from Syria, Kuwait and Israel. Private U-S citizens in those countries are being urged by the State Department to depart immediately.
• Text: A Vision for Iraq and the Iraqi People Washington File 16 Mar 2003 -- President Bush, Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair, Spain's President of Government Jose Maria Aznar, and Portugal's Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, who hosted a one-day meeting of the leaders in the Azores March 16, issued a "Statement of the Atlantic Summit: A Vision for Iraq and the Iraqi People."
• BUSH/IRAQ VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- President Bush says Monday will be the final day for diplomatic efforts to disarm Iraq and avoid military action. Mr. Bush announced the deadline following a hastily arranged summit Sunday with key allies at an air base in the Portuguese Azore Islands.
• IRAQ WRAP VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- President Bush and his closest allies have agreed on one final diplomatic push to win world backing for Iraq's swift disarmament. This comes as Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein vows to "fight anywhere in the world," if the United States leads an invasion.
• Bush Sets Monday Deadline for Diplomatic Track on Iraq to Work AFPS 16 Mar 2003 -- Monday is the deadline for allowing diplomacy to find a solution to Iraq, President Bush said today.
• Powell Says Departure of Saddam Hussein Could Avert Iraq War Washington File 16 Mar 2003 -- War in Iraq "certainly could be averted" if Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, along with his sons and other top Iraqi leaders were to leave the country and were replaced by "a more responsible leadership ... determined to get rid of its weapons of mass destruction ... and start to provide a better life for the Iraqi people," Secretary of State Colin Powell said March 16.
• Powell Hopes for Turkey Acceptance of U.S. Troops Washington File 16 Mar 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell indicated that he continues to hold out hope that the Turkish parliament will approve the basing of U.S. troops within Turkey, as the United States prepares for a possible invasion of Iraq.
• Cheney: End of Diplomatic Phase on Iraq Is Approaching Washington File 16 Mar 2003 -- Vice President Dick Cheney said that diplomatic efforts to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction are approaching an end, and he held out little hope that, at this late stage, Saddam Hussein would choose to compile with the terms of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441.
• U-S / IRAQ VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking prior to the summit in the Azores, said time is running out for Iraq to disarm, or face possible military action. Their comments underscored the call by President Bush and the leaders of Britain and Spain for the international community to support an ultimatum for the immediate disarmament of Iraq.
• POWELL/IRAQ/BAGHDAD VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- Amid growing concern about the possibility of war in Iraq, U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell says foreigners in Baghdad should consider leaving.
• BUSH/IRAQ VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- President Bush is headed across the Atlantic Ocean for a crucial summit with key allies at an air base in the Portuguese Azores. The White House says the meeting represents one last push to win support for a new U-N Security Council resolution on Iraq.
• POWELL / IRAQ VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell says another U-N resolution on Iraq, though desirable, is not necessary.
• US/IRAQ VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- Top Bush administration officials say time is running out for Iraq to comply with demands to disarm peacefully. The warnings come as President Bush meets with the leaders of Britain and Spain to review their options regarding Iraq, as it looks increasingly unlikely that a new U-N resolution would pass.

United Nations

• UNMOVIC IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq UNMOVIC/IAEA 16 Mar 2003
• Tracking Inspections in Iraq RFE/L 16 Mar 2003
• Security Council plans talks on Iraq for Monday to discuss joint text by France, Germany, Russia UN News Centre 16 Mar 2003 -- The United Nations Security Council will hold a closed-door meeting on Monday to discuss a text being put forward on Iraq.
• IRAQ/INSPECTORS VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- Iraq says five U-N helicopters have been evacuated to Cyprus because of possible war. Meanwhile, Iraq continues to destroy its most advanced surface-to-surface missile system and says it will soon submit a report on its stocks of anthrax that it claims it destroyed 12 years ago.

Foreign Reactions

• PM outlines vision for Iraq and the Iraqi people 10 Downing Street 16 Mar 2003 -- PAPER PUBLISHED BY THE UK GOVERNMENT WHICH WILL BE DELIVERED IN WRITTEN AND VIDEO FORM TO THE REGION, AND HOPEFULLY TO MANY IRAQIS, IN THE EVENT WE ARE FORCED TO TAKE MILITARY ACTION

• AZORES SUMMIT / EUROPE VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- President Bush has gotten strong backing from Britain and Spain for his ultimatum to Iraq to disarm or face invasion. Britain and Spain also are calling for international unity to deal with the Iraq crisis.
• IRAQ/SADDAM VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has vowed to fight any aggressor anywhere in the world, and declares Iraqi troops would be victorious. His remarks came in response to a warning from President Bush and the leaders of Britain and Spain that the time for diplomacy is nearly at an end.
• ISRAEL/IRAQ VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- Israel says it will retaliate, if Iraqi President Saddam Hussein launches an attack against the Jewish state during any U-S-led military strike against Iraq.
• QATAR/FRANCE VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- France's defense minister says her government will stand by Gulf countries in the event of war, but reaffirmed France's opposition to any attack against Iraq, without United Nations authorization. The French official made the remarks in Qatar, hours before the leaders of the United States, Britain and Spain were to meet to discuss that latest developments in the Iraqi crisis.

News Reports

• AZORES/SUMMIT/SCENE VOA 16 Mar 2003 -- The Azores is a normally quiet Portuguese island chain in the mid-Atlantic. But today (Sunday) it has become the center of world focus, as the leaders of the United States, Britain and Spain gather there for a summit on the Iraq crisis.