UNITED24 - Make a charitable donation in support of Ukraine!

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)


17 March Iraq Special Weapons News

Operations
Deployments
US Policy
United Nations
Foreign Reactions
News Reports

Current Operations

Deployments

  • PENTAGON / ULTIMATUMS VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- U-S presidential ultimatums, like U-N Security Council deadlines, are nothing new when it comes to Iraq -- and if the past is any example, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is likely to reject any new one.
  • PENTAGON / FRIENDLY FIRE VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- With U-S forces poised for possible war with Iraq, commanders are bracing for any number of potential disasters. Some they are talking about openly, like Iraq's possible use of chemical or biological weapons or the potential for civilian casualties. But defense officials are largely mute on some other risks, including the problem of so-called "friendly fire" deaths.
  • PENTAGON / IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- A senior U-S military official says coalition forces are poised to start offensive operations against Iraq at any moment and they are prepared for Baghdad's possible retaliation with chemical or biological weapons.
  • U-S TROOPS / WEATHER VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Rising temperatures and frequent sandstorms in the Gulf region are a concern for U-S troops trying to maintain peak readiness for a war against Iraq.
  • 8th ESB paves the way; engineers rebuild and protect logistics command USMC News 17 Mar 2003 -- U.S. Marines continue to repair the bumpy roads and wind-beaten berms beyond the gates here following the March 6 sandstorm that left many of the roads almost impassable.

US Policy

  • Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation 17 Mar 2003 -- "All the decades of deceit and cruelty have now reached an end. Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict, commenced at a time of our choosing. For their own safety, all foreign nationals -- including journalists and inspectors -- should leave Iraq immediately."

  • BUSH / IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- President Bush has given Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave his country or face military action.
  • BUSH IRAQ OVERNIGHTER VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein now has less than 48 hours to leave his country or face U-S-led military action. President Bush issued the ultimatum in a nationally broadcast address Monday night.
  • Bush Gives Hussein 48 Hours to Leave Iraq AFPS 17 Mar 2003 -- President Bush delivered an ultimatum that Saddam Hussein and his sons have 48 hours to leave Iraq.
  • CONGRESS / BUSH REACT VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- U-S lawmakers from both political parties are expressing support for U-S troops following President Bush's speech on Iraq. But some Democrats are disappointed with the administration's efforts to win U-N support for a resolution authorizing the use of force.
  • POWELL-IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says that in his upcoming address, President Bush will issue an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to step down from power and leave Iraq or face U-S led military action. Mr. Powell says the time for diplomacy in the Iraq crisis has passed.
  • CONGRESS / WAR CONCERNS VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Members of Congress met with President Bush shortly before his televised address (late Monday) on Iraq. The meeting came as Democrats and Republicans engaged in a heated debate about the potential cost of a war.
  • CONGRESS WAR DEBATE VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- The debate over the wisdom of the U-S war against Iraq continues around the globe in the United Nations Security Council, the British and Turkish Parliament and in U-S city council chambers. But what about the U-S Congress? Some analysts are asking whether the body of lawmakers has debated war and its ramifications enough. The U-S Constitution gives Congress the final word on going to war. Has Congress fulfilled its constitutional role?
  • CONGRESS / IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Key congressional Democrats are criticizing President Bush, saying he has not done enough to secure broader international support for pending military action against Iraq. Their comments came after the United States, Britain and Spain decided not to seek a vote on a proposed resolution that would have effectively authorized war to disarm Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
  • Powell Says Hussein Must Leave Iraq to Avoid Hostilities Washington File 17 Mar 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said March 17 that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein can avoid a war with a U.S.-led coalition only by leaving Iraq along with immediate members of his family.
  • Minimal Uprooting of Iraqis Is Goal of Army Civil Affairs Unit Washington File 17 Mar 2003 -- Minimizing the displacement of Iraqi civilian populations and facilitating humanitarian relief will be primary concerns of the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command now being deployed to the Persian Gulf region should the United States decide to take military action, according to a command officer.
  • Fact Sheet: U.S. Military's Civil Affairs Units Aid Civilians Washington File 17 Mar 2003 -- The U.S. military's civil affairs units work with U.S. military commanders and local civil authorities to lessen the impact of military operations on civilians during peace and war, according to a U.S. Army fact sheet.
  • IRAQ WRAP VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- The Bush administration has declared the time for resolving the Iraq crisis through diplomacy has ended. President Bush will deliver an ultimatum Monday night to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to leave his country or face war.Diplomats and United Nations employees -- including weapons inspectors -- are now leaving Iraq ahead of a threatened U-S-led invasion.
  • White House Report, March 17: Bush to Address Nation on Iraq Washington File 17 Mar 2003 -- President Bush will issue an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, telling him to leave Iraq or face military action, in a televised address to the United States at 8 p.m. March 17, Washington time, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters.

  • Briefing on Situation With Iraq w/ Secretary Colin L. Powell State Department 17 Mar 2003 -- As a result of this, the United Kingdom, the United States and Spain decided to not call for a vote on this resolution. We spent a great deal of time overnight and early this morning talking to friends and colleagues around the world about the resolution and it was our judgment, reached by the United States, the United Kingdom and Spain that no further purpose would be served by pushing this resolution. So we are not going to ask for a vote on the resolution. The resolution will die anyway, because it had a built-in date of 17 March within the resolution, which has not been modified.

  • Powell Accuses Iraq of Playing Games with U.N. and U.S. AFPS 17 Mar 2003 -- Iraq is playing the United Nations and some of America's friends on the Security Council like a fiddle, Secretary of State Colin Powell said during a March 16 appearance on ABC News' This Week show.
  • "When War Is the Best Medicine," by Senator Bill Frist Washington File 17 Mar 2003 -- Physicians and policymakers have an imperative duty to help keep people healthy and alive. In doing so, preventive care is always preferable to the treatment of avoidable disease. Understanding the causes of disease and death enables prevention. Physicians and policymakers must gather and evaluate critical information to meet our obligation to protect humanity by preventing illness and death.

United Nations

  • Security Council to discuss key Iraqi disarmament goals Wednesday UN News Centre 17 Mar 2003 -- Despite an inability to reach a united decision on how to proceed with the disarmament of Iraq, the United Nations Security Council has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday to hear from the two top UN weapons inspectors on the key remaining disarmament issues for Baghdad to resolve.
  • UNMOVIC IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq UNMOVIC/IAEA 17 Mar 2003
  • UN inspectors supervise destruction of more banned Iraqi missiles UN News Centre 17 Mar 2003 -- Even as United Nations weapons inspectors were about to be withdrawn from Iraq, they supervised the destruction of two more Al Samoud 2 missiles today, bringing to 72 the total destroyed since the 1 March deadline for beginning the process.
  • KUWAIT / U-N FORCE VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- The United Nations has withdrawn its observers stationed along Kuwait's border with Iraq, amid signs that a U-S led war could begin soon.
  • UN / IRAQ / EVACUATION VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- U-N Secretary General Kofi Annan has ordered all U-N humanitarian workers and weapons inspectors to leave Iraq and suspended the oil-for- food program there.
  • U.N. Withdraws Staff from Iraq Washington File 17 Mar 2003 -- Secretary General Kofi Annan March 17 ordered all U.N. weapons inspectors, peacekeepers, and humanitarian aid workers to withdraw from Iraq.
  • U-N-IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- With the threat of war ever closer, opposing sides at the U-N Security Council blame each other for the collapse of diplomacy in the Iraq crisis. The pro-U-S camp says a threatened French veto is to blame, while other countries say a lack of support for immediate military action caused the impasse.
  • Annan to withdraw UN staff from Iraq UN News Centre 17 Mar 2003 -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced today he will withdraw United Nations staff from Iraq following the failure of efforts to achieve united action in the Security Council in ridding the country of weapons of mass destruction.
  • UK, US and Spain withdraw draft resolution, may take 'own steps' to disarm Iraq UN News Centre 17 Mar 2003 -- The United Kingdom, United States and Spain today announced they will not pursue a vote in the United Nations Security Council on a draft resolution presenting an ultimatum to Iraq and said they reserved the right to take their own steps to secure that country's disarmament.
  • U.S., U.K., Spain Withdraw Draft Disarmament Resolution AFPS 17 Mar 2003 -- President Bush will address the world tonight and issue a final ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, the top American diplomat said today.
  • U.S., U.K., Spain Will Not Call for U.N. Security Council Vote on Iraq Washington File 17 Mar 2003 -- The United Kingdom, United States, and Spain said March 17 they would not call for a U.N. Security Council vote on their draft resolution on Iraq in the face of a threatened French veto.
  • UK, US and Spain withdraw draft resolution, may take 'own steps' to disarm Iraq UN News Centre 17 Mar 2003 -- The United Kingdom, United States and Spain today announced they will not pursue a vote in the Security Council on a draft resolution presenting an ultimatum to Iraq and said they reserved the right to take their own steps to secure that country's disarmament
  • Security Council to hold closed meeting on Iraq UN News Centre 17 Mar 2003 -- Reacting to the latest developments on Iraq, the Security Council will hold closed consultations this morning to discuss the rapidly evolving situation.
  • UN / IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- The United Nations Security Council holds what could be a final effort to end the Iraqi crisis through diplomacy in closed-door consultations today (Monday). The United States, Britain and Spain now say they will not press for a council vote on a new resolution, which would have faced a veto by France and Russia.
  • Tracking Inspections in Iraq RFE/L 17 Mar 2003
  • I-A-E-A / IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- The United States has advised the International Atomic Energy Agency to start pulling its inspectors from Iraq.
  • IRAQ: UNHCR in Iran prepares for possible refugee influx IRIN 17 Mar 2003 -- As part of its regional preparedness efforts for a crisis in Iraq, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is working to enhance its response capacity in neighbouring Iran should a possible refugee influx occur. Iran, already home to more than two million refugees, shares a 1,458 km border with Iraq and could be on the receiving end of a major influx should war break out.

Foreign Reactions

  • Personnal Statement by Mr. Robin Cook The United Kingdom Parliament 17 Mar 2003 -- "I applaud the heroic efforts that the Prime Minister has made in trying to secure a second resolution. (..) But the very intensity of those attempts underlines how important it was to succeed. Now that those attempts have failed, we cannot pretend that getting a second resolution was of no importance. (...) We delude ourselves if we think that the degree of international hostility is all the result of President Chirac. The reality is that Britain is being asked to embark on a war without agreement in any of the international bodies of which we are a leading partner-not NATO, not the European Union and, now, not the Security Council. To end up in such diplomatic weakness is a serious reverse. Only a year ago, we and the United States were part of a coalition against terrorism that was wider and more diverse than I would ever have imagined possible. History will be astonished at the diplomatic miscalculations that led so quickly to the disintegration of that powerful coalition. The US can afford to go it alone, but Britain is not a superpower. Our interests are best protected not by unilateral action but by multilateral agreement and a world order governed by rules."

  • AUSTRALIA IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said his country will commit its forces to any U-S-led war against Iraq, despite strong public opposition to a war.
  • BRITAIN / IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- With war against Iraq all but inevitable, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Bush's staunchest ally, is facing a hectic political situation at home. A prominent member of his cabinet resigned Monday, and he is facing a revolt within his own party.
  • IRAQ / SUMMIT REACT VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Iraq is calling Sunday's summit among U-S, British and Spanish leaders a summit of outlaws.
  • IRAQ / PALESTINIAN REFUGEES VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- In Jordan, Palestinian refugees worry about the consequences of a war in Iraq on the peace process, despite U-S and British promises to push the process forward.
  • IRAQ / MIDDAY WRAP VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- President Bush is about to deliver an ultimatum to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, "leave Iraq or face a U-S-led invasion." Mr. Bush will deliver an address to the nation later Monday (0100 UTC).
  • BRITAIN / FRANCE BLAME VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Britain has blamed France directly for the breakdown in efforts to convince Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to disarm, and says there are now only two options; either Mr. Hussein will resign or he will be disarmed by force.
  • AUSTRALIA IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Australia's prime minister says his country's involvement in a war with Iraq is growing "more likely." John Howard will convene a meeting of his cabinet to decide whether Australian troops now in the Persian Gulf will actually join the fighting, if the United States leads an attack on Iraq.
  • ARABS / SUMMIT REACT VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Many Arabs appear resigned to the prospect of war against Iraq after Sunday's meeting of the U-S, British and Spanish leaders.
  • RUSSIA / IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says war against Iraq would be a mistake.
  • ISRAELI SECURITY / IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Israel's security in the event of a U-S led war against Iraq is not only a concern for Israelis, but also for Jews around the world.
  • IRAQ/SADDAM VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- The general consensus in the Arab world is that U-S and British forces will attack Iraq sometime this week. Hopes of reaching a diplomatic solution are all but gone, short of Saddam Hussein announcing the resignation of his regime. But Sunday, the Iraqi leader vowed to stay and fight.
  • MIDEAST / EVACUATIONS VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- As the threat of war looms over Iraq, governments around the world are advising their citizens to evacuate some countries in the region, as quickly as possible.
  • IRAQ/SUMMIT REACT VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Iraq is calling Sunday's summit of U-S, British and Spanish leaders a "summit of outlaws."
  • FRANCE / IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin says France's position on Iraq is unchanged, and it will reject any new U-N war resolution in the immediate future.
  • RUSSIA-IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Russia appears unmoved by the call by the United States, Britain and Spain for a Monday deadline for United Nation's action on Iraq.
  • ASIA IRAQ WARNING VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Australia and New Zealand have urged their citizens to leave Iraq immediately as war looms. Many Asian nations have already closed diplomatic missions in Baghdad.
  • AUSTRALIA IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Australia's prime minister says his country's involvement in a war with Iraq is growing "more likely." John Howard will convene a meeting of his cabinet to decide whether to send Australian troops into battle early this week.
  • TURKEY: IRIN Interview with Turkish Red Crescent IRIN 17 Mar 2003 -- In the event of a war on Iraq, neighbouring Turkey could be on the receiving end of a major influx of refugees. During the Gulf War of 1991, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Kurds crossed the 331 km border in search of assistance - catching much of the humanitarian community off guard. In an interview with IRIN, the President of the Turkish Red Crescent, Dr Ertan Gonen, discussed contingency plans and concerns over another potential influx.

News Reports

  • ANTI-WAR PROTESTS VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- As war against Iraq appears imminent, anti-war demonstrators in the United States are making a last-ditch effort to ensure that their voices are being heard.
  • RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 6, Number 11 RFE/L 17 Mar 2003 -- IRAN WOULD REDUCE WHEAT IMPORTS REGARDLESS OF ARGENTINIAN JUDICIARY / RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER REASSURES TEHRAN DURING VISIT / CONTINUING IRAN-RUSSIA NUCLEAR COOPERATION / TEHRAN DEFENDS ITS NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES / VISITING TURKMEN PRESIDENT SIGNS SEVERAL AGREEMENTS / GASOLINE PRICE HIKE COULD RAISE INFLATION ABOVE 20 PERCENT / RESTRICTIONS ON MONTAZERI CONTINUE / STUDENT OUTRAGE INCREASING / PARLIAMENTARIAN CALLS FOR CABINET SHUFFLE / TEHRAN COUNCIL ELECTION LEAVES POLITICALLY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES UNRESOLVED / JOURNALISTS APPEAR IN COURT / JOURNALIST'S LAWYER CANNOT DEFEND HIM IN CARTOON CASE / DON'T GO IN THE WATER / IRANIAN NAVAL FORCES IN THE NEWS / SUPREME LEADER TELLS IRGC NAVY OF AMERICA'S PENDING QUAGMIRE / IRANIAN ARMED FORCES READY / IRAN-IRAQ POW AND MIA COMMITTEE RESUMES MEETINGS / PARLIAMENTARIAN: AMERICAN ATTACK ON IRAQ WILL BE SHAMEFUL / IRANIAN HUMAN SHIELD HOPEFULS / CONTRADICTORY REPORTS ON TEHRAN-WASHINGTON DEAL OVER IRAQ / SCIRI UNENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT U.S. PLANS FOR IRAQ / IRANIAN OFFICIAL DETAILS DIVISION OF IRAQ / AFGHAN REFUGEES RESUME REPATRIATION
  • RED CROSS / IRAQ VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- The United States has announced an increase in its contributions to the International Committee of the Red Cross, but U-S officials deny the funding is intended specifically to alleviate the effects of war in Iraq.
  • DENMARK / IRAQI GENERAL VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- A former Iraqi army chief of staff has disappeared from his home in Denmark, where he had been under house arrest pending an investigation for war crimes. The former general is considered a leading figure in the opposition to Saddam Hussein.
  • IRAQ / US ECON VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- For the fourth session in a row, stock prices closed sharply higher on Wall Street Monday. Investors are responding to the prospect of a swift and successful war against Iraq.
  • "Free Iraqis" to Discuss Ending Corruption Washington File 17 Mar 2003 -- The State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs will host 15 "Free Iraqis" March 18-19 to discuss ways to end the corruption characteristic of Saddam Hussein's regime, according to a March 17 press notice.
  • "Peace Isn't Possible in Evil's Face," by Elie Wiesel Washington File 17 Mar 2003 -- Under normal circumstances, I might have joined those peace marchers who, here and abroad, staged public demonstrations against an invasion of Iraq. After all, I have seen enough of the brutality, the ugliness, of war to oppose it heart and soul. Isn't war forever cruel, the ultimate form of violence? It inevitably generates not only loss of innocence but endless sorrow and mourning. How could one not reject it as an option?
  • DAVID MAINTYRE, ANSER INSTITUTE VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- The possible war with Iraq still dominates the front pages of newspapers. The U.S.government wants to remove President Saddam Hussein from power, but does not seem to have the backing of many countries for a military solution.
  • Jarhead: A Marine Sniper's Story VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- Amid all the policy debate and the rhetoric surrounding a possible war in Iraq, it's likely that few civilians really know what it feels like to train for and fight in a war. A critically acclaimed new book, "Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles," shines a timely light on the grim realities of war.
  • Jarhead: A Marine Sniper's Story (Part 2 of 2) VOA 17 Mar 2003 -- In diplomatic and political circles throughout the world, there is anxious debate about whether to wage war against Iraq, and exactly when an American-led invasion might begin. But one thing is certain. The soldiers who are preparing to fight that war will have their own hard won perspective on the confrontation.




NEWSLETTER
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list