Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Operations
Deployments
US Policy
United Nations
Foreign Reactions
News Reports

Current Operations

• Bush Informs Congress of Start of Coalition Operations in Iraq Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- Citing his decision "that further diplomatic and other peaceful means alone will neither adequately protect the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq, nor lead to enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq," President Bush sent a letter to Congressional leaders March 21 officially informing them that coalition military operations to disarm Iraq had commenced.

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing - Secretary Rumsfeld And Gen. Myers 21 Mar 2003 -- On the president's order, coalition forces began the ground war to disarm Iraq and liberate the Iraqi people yesterday. And a few minutes ago, the air war in Iraq began.
• Transcript: Press Conference at the Ministry of Defence UK Ministry of Defence 21 Mar 2003 -- "Well as you know, our coalition forces were engaged overnight last night in some attacks on regime positions and infrastructure and a lot of details, especially with regard to the attacks on regime targets in Baghdad, have already been made available to you, so I don't intend to go over those again. However, I can tell you that those operations included the firing of several tomahawk missiles from British submarines in the region, and these missiles were targeted at regime command and control centres in the Iraqi capital, and also that all their weapons hit their targets as planned."
• SENATE QUESTION TIME Australian Parliament House 21 Mar 2003 -- "I'm pleased to report to the Senate that all Australian troops deployed on Operation FALCONER are safe and well. Personnel from all three services continue to play a vital part at the forefront of coalition operations against Iraq."
• Transcript: Update on the Australian Defence Force's contributions to Global Operations Australian Department of Defence 21 Mar 2003 -- "Now, following US missile strikes against the Iraqi leadership, the Iraqis have responded by firing a number of scud missiles from around the Basra area into Northern Kuwait. We know that two missiles were successfully intercepted by Patriot air defence missiles and destroyed. Others landed in the desert near Kuwait City."

• Troops making 'steady progress' in Iraq 10 Downing Street 21 Mar 2003 -- British forces were heavily engaged in sea, land and air operations overnight and steady progress is being made, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has told the House of Commons. vHe confirmed that a helicopter carrying British and US personnel crashed in Kuwait, and paid tribute to those who lost their lives. The incident was not the result of enemy action, and the cause is being investigated.
• U.S.-British Invasion Pushes Deeper Into Iraq RFE/L 21 Mar 2003 -- The ground campaign against Iraq is unfolding today with U.S. and British forces pushing deep into the country. It follows a second night of aerial bombardment of Baghdad and heavy artillery strikes on Iraqi positions across the Iraq-Kuwaiti border.
• Iraq: U.S., British Troops Meeting Sporadic Resistance Amid First Casualties RFE/L 21 Mar 2003 -- The ground campaign against Iraq is unfolding today with U.S. and British forces meeting sporadic resistance as they push deeper into the country.
• Iraq: Massive Bombardment Of Baghdad Begins RFE/L 21 Mar 2003 -- A series of giant explosions detonated in Baghdad tonight. White and orange flashes lit the sky and smoke billowed over Iraq's capital city.
• Iraq: Huge Explosions Heard In Baghdad RFE/L 21 Mar 2003 -- As a sustained barrage of missiles and bombs rained down on Iraq's capital Baghdad tonight, U.S. military officials said a long-promised campaign of aerial bombardment had begun.
• COALITION CONTINUES LEAFLET AND RADIO CAMPAIGN CENTCOM 21 Mar 2003 -- Operation IRAQI FREEDOM aircrews dropped more than 2 million leaflets across Iraq today to encourage the surrender of Iraqi military forces and to minimize risk and harm to Iraqi civilians.
• Franks: Our Objectives Are Clear Navy NewStand 21 Mar 2003 -- The U.S.-led coalition fighting now in Iraq will disarm Saddam Hussein and remove his regime, Gen. Tommy R. Franks said in a message to his troops March 20.
• PENTAGON / SADDAM VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's fate remains unclear following U-S airstrikes aimed at removing him from power by force. But Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is indirectly urging those close to Saddam to take action against him if he is indeed still alive.
• PENTAGON / IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- The United States has begun a massive air campaign against Iraq, pounding military targets in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities after the apparent failure of efforts to force Saddam Hussein's government to relinquish power without a fight.
• SHOCK AND AWE VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- After taking the southern Iraqi port city of Umm Qasr, U-S infantry units rolled north toward Baghdad. Meanwhile, precision guided cruise missiles continue to hit selected targets in Baghdad and the U-S military continues its psychological warfare dropping leaflets on Iraqi troops and broadcasting radio messages in Arabic urging Iraqi soldiers to lay down their arms and giving them instructions on how to surrender to U-S and British forces. Operation Iraqi Freedom is now in day five and the so-called "Shock and Awe" campaign is well underway.
• IRAQ / WRAP VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- U-S led coalition forces have opened a devastating air campaign in the skies over Iraq, with waves of bombings taking out key buildings in the capital, Baghdad and striking other parts of the country as well. Two American marines have become the first combat casualties, killed as U-S and British forces continue to advance toward the Iraqi capital. As the war to topple the government of Saddam Hussein enters its third day (Saturday), there are indications the Iraqi leadership is now in disarray.
• PENTAGON / AIR WAR VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Operation Iraqi Freedom" has entered a new phase with the start of heavy air attacks on military and other government targets in Baghdad and elsewhere. The decision to embark on the highly anticipated "shock and awe" bombing campaign follows the apparent failure of earlier efforts to persuade the Iraqi leadership to capitulate without a fight.
• PENTAGON/SURRENDERS VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- The surrender of Iraqi forces to advancing U-S led coalition troops appears to be gathering momentum.
• Iraq's Oil Wells Set Ablaze by Iraqi Troops Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- Seven Iraqi oil wells have been set on fire by Iraqi troops, Britain's defense chief told reporters Friday, according to Reuters.
• Air Force Operations Concept Aims at Success, Not Destruction Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- The U.S. Air Force, in every military conflict since the 1991 Gulf War, has been functioning under an operating concept that emphasizes not destruction of targets so much as accomplishing strategic and tactical goals.
• Rumsfeld Says Iraqi Regime "Is Starting to Lose Control" Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- After "a careful measured beginning" to "Operation Iraqi Freedom," the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein "is starting to lose control" as both the air and ground elements of the coalition military operation are now fully under way, says Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
• USS Pasadena (SSN 752) Deploys COMSUBPAC 21 Mar 2003 -- Two Pearl Harbor based submarines, currently assigned to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, were among the first U.S. ships involved in Tomahawk launches in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• White House: Coalition Making Progress in Campaign to Free Iraq Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- Progress is being made in the coalition campaign to disarm Saddam Hussein's regime and to free the people of Iraq from a brutal dictator, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters March 21.
• MILITARY PLANNING FOR IRAQI FLOODING CONSIDERED 21 Mar 2003 -- Department of Defense military planners are considering operational strategies in response to possible flooding by Iraqi military forces. If the Iraqi military releases water into the Tigris River from upstream reservoirs, extensive flooding between Baghdad and Al Kut could occur. Thousands of Iraqis could be displaced, adding to congestion on roads and requiring extensive humanitarian support.
• Myers Charts Coalition Military Actions to Date AFPS 21 Mar 2003 -- American ground forces are 100 miles inside Iraq and driving on Baghdad, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard Myers said today during a Pentagon news conference.
• DoD Leaders Urge Iraqis to Surrender AFPS 21 Mar 2003 -- Over the past month, coalition aircraft have dropped more than 15 million leaflets over Iraq urging soldiers not to fight and telling civilians how to protect themselves.
• CJCS delivers message to troops USAFENS 21 Mar 2003 -- On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists murdered thousands of innocent men, women and children on American soil. The Attack immediately plunged our nation into global war against terrorism. As part of our war to defend America, Operation Iraqi Freedom has begun.
• General Franks Praises Allied Troops as Combat Operations Begin Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- Army General Tommy Franks, commander of the U.S. Central Command, told the U.S.-led coalition March 21 that President Bush has ordered the initiation of combat operations and "our objectives are clear."
• TWO MARINES KILLED TODAY 21 Mar 2003 -- Two U.S. Marines died in combat today during operations performed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• COALITION FORCES AIR CAMPAIGN BEGINS 21 Mar 2003 -- The air campaign of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM launched into high gear shortly before 1:00 p.m. EST, as hundreds of Coalition Force aircraft and cruise missiles targeted select regime leadership and military targets in Baghdad and other various cities.
• PENTAGON/IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- U-S and British forces are capturing territory in southern and western Iraq, moving quickly to secure key military targets and oil fields.
• IRAQ/OIL VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Allied forces in Qatar say British troops have established a beachhead in southern Iraq, where they have taken control of oil production facilities on the Faw Peninsula. Coalition spokesmen say U-S and British troops are advancing on the southern Iraqi cities of Basra and Umm al-Qasr.
• IRAQ/STRATEGY VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Refugee camps set up in six neighboring countries to Iraq remain quiet. There has been only a trickle of refugees fleeing Iraq. But military analysts in the region say the camps will become overrun with refugees if a promised heavy bombing campaign takes place in Baghdad. Some military analysts in the region are at odds over whether Washington and London may be wanting to hold off on aggressive bombing in hopes of limiting casualties, heavy damage and the flight of hundreds of thousands of refugees out of the country.
• IRAQ WRAP VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- As U-S and British forces move deeper into southern Iraq, U-S military officials have confirmed the first combat casualty of the war.
• BioChem response force hopes they won't be needed in Kuwait USMC News 21 Mar 2003 -- While U.S. troops continue the push north through Iraq and Patriot missiles consistently knock down potentially chemically armed ballistic missiles, one U.S.-led multi-nation task force in Kuwait is anxiously waiting for nothing to happen.
• Missile misses Marine headquarters USMC News 21 Mar 2003 -- An unidentified Iraqi missile struck outside Camp Commando, Kuwait, March 20 at approximately 10:28 a.m.
• More Than 700 Coalition Aircraft Pound Iraq AFPS 21 Mar 2003 -- About 700 coalition aircraft flew missions against more than 100 targets in Iraq on March 20, said Defense officials.
• U.S. Pushes Deeper Into Iraq; Chopper Dead Number Revised to 12 AFPS 21 Mar 2003 -- The death toll in the crash of a Marine CH-46 helicopter March 20 was reduced overnight to 12 by U.S. Central Command officials.
• GENERAL FRANKS' MESSAGE TO THE TROOPS CENTCOM 21 Mar 2003 -- The following message was released by General Tommy Franks last night:
• U.S., BRITISH NAVY FIRE MORE TOMAHAWKS CENTCOM 21 Mar 2003 -- Three U.S. ships and two British submarines that are part of the Coalition Forces Maritime Component launched Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) during last night's military operations to disarm Iraq.
• U.S., British Navy Fire More Tomahawks Navy NewsStand 21 Mar 2003 -- At least three U.S. ships and two British submarines currently assigned to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet launched Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) March 20 in military operations to disarm Iraq.
• KUWAIT HELICOPTER CRASH VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- A U-S helicopter has crashed in the desert of northern Kuwait. Military officials confirm that all people aboard have been killed, including four U-S crewmembers and at least eight British passengers. These are the first coalition casualties since the attacks against Iraq began early Thursday morning.
• PENTAGON / IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- U-S and British forces are continuing their push into southern Iraq, heading toward the key city of Basra.
• IRAQ / WAR VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- At a news conference Friday in Baghdad, Iraq's information minister accused President Bush of targeting civilian locations in Baghdad.
• IRAQ/OIL VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Coalition forces say they now control important oil installations in southern Iraq, after an overnight landing by British commandos. Coalition forces are advancing on the southern cities of Basra and Umm Qasr, near the Gulf coast.
• IRAQ WRAP VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- As U-S and British forces move deeper into southern Iraq, U-S military officials have confirmed the first combat casualty of the war.
• HELICOPTER CRASHES IN KUWAIT 21 Mar 2003 -- A U.S. Marine Corps CH-46E Sea Knight Helicopter carrying both U.S. and U.K. military personnel crashed early this morning south of Umm Qasr, near Highway 801 in Kuwait. The crash occurred at approximately 3:00 a.m. local time.
• IRAQ/WRAP/ ONITE VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- The U-S-led offensive against Iraq has entered a new phase, with allied forces advancing into Iraq from northern Kuwait. But coalition forces also suffered their first casualties, when a helicopter carrying British and American personnel crashed in the northern Kuwaiti desert.

• Tanker crews launch first combat support missions AMCNS 21 Mar 2003 -- While most people were just waking up and drinking their first cup of coffee, the first of several KC-135 aircrews from the 401st Air Expeditionary Wing launched combat support missions over the skies of Southwest Asia March 19.

Deployments

• BioChem response force hopes they won't be needed in Kuwait USMC News 21 Mar 2003 -- While U.S. troops continue the push north through Iraq and Patriot missiles consistently knock down potentially chemically armed ballistic missiles, one U.S.-led multi-nation task force in Kuwait is anxiously waiting for nothing to happen.

US Policy

• White House Daily Briefing White House 21 Mar 2003
• EDITORIAL: LAST CHANCE FOR IRAQ'S MILITARY VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld gave some advice to Iraqi soldiers and the officers who command them
• Iraq Reconstruction: Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Management USAID 21 Mar 2003 -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is committed to environmental protection and improved management of natural resources essential to Iraq's recovery and long-term economic development. USAID, working in close coordination with other U.S. agencies, is planning to address key environmental issues in Iraq
• EDITORIAL: RUMSFELD TO IRAQI CIVILIANS VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- The military campaign to disarm Iraq and liberate the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein is underway. As Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld made clear, the United States and its coalition partners are committed to minimizing harm to Iraqi civilians. Mr. Rumsfeld gave this advice to the Iraqi people
• EDITORIAL: A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- U.S. and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein. The more than thirty countries in the coalition seek an Iraq that is democratic, unified, and has no weapons of mass destruction.
• U.S. Aid Commitments to Iraq Have Increased, Boucher Says Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- The total amount of U.S. assistance to Iraq is now up to $105 million -- $45 million more than originally planned, says State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher.
• Veneman Says U.S. Will Increase Food Aid to Iraq Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- The United States will soon provide an additional $20 million to the World Food Program (WFP) for aid to Iraq, says Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman.
• Rumsfeld Lists Operation Iraqi Freedom Aims, Objectives AFPS 21 Mar 2003 -- Defense of the American people is primary among the goals and objectives of U.S. actions in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said during a Pentagon press conference today.
• Transcript: Bush Thanks Congress for Resolutions of Support for Armed Forces Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- President Bush asked the bipartisan leaders of the U.S. Congress to come to the White House March 21 for an up-to-date briefing on the war to liberate Iraq.
• Text: Senate Resolution Backs U.S. Armed Forces and Commander-in-Chief Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- The Senate passed, by a 99-0 vote, a resolution backing the U.S. Armed Forces engaged in the liberation of Iraq, and expressed support for President Bush as Commander-in-Chief March 20.
• White House Report March 21: War in Iraq Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- Asked to confirm news reports claiming that Iraq's dictator Saddam Hussein was injured in the opening strikes on Iraq, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters March 21 "there are a number of rumors that are swirling. I don't deal with rumors. There is nothing concrete that I can report.
• Text: Bush Authorizes $22 Million In Emergency Refugee Aid for Iraqis Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- President Bush authorized $22 million to be used for emergency aid to Iraqi refugees in the event that a humanitarian crisis develops in the Middle East as a result of coalition military force used against Iraq.
• Fact Sheet: U.S. Prepares Food Aid Shipments to Iraq Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- The Bush administration has announced the release of 200,000 tons of food aid for the Iraqi people. Following is the U.S. Agency for International Development fact sheet detailing the action
• Text: House Passes Resolution Supporting U.S. Troops and Commander-in-Chief Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- The House of Representatives approved a resolution supporting U.S. Armed Forces engaged in the liberation of Iraq and their Commander-in-Chief by a 392-11 vote in the House early on March 21.
• Text: U.S. Advances Food Assistance to Iraqi People Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Andrew Natsios have announced release of 200,000 metric tons of food aid for the Iraqi people with the promise of additional 400,000 tons as needed.
• Senate Expresses Support for U.S. Troops as War With Iraq Begins Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- Republicans and Democrats in a March 20 Senate debate supported a resolution backing President Bush as Commander-in-Chief and the U.S. Armed Forces engaged in the liberation of Iraq.
• Text: U.S. Informs UN of Start of Coalition Military Operations in Iraq Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte on March 20 sent a letter to the president of the Security Council, Ambassador Mamady Traore of Guinea, informing the council that coalition forces had commenced military operations in Iraq.
• Excerpt: Bush Has Legal Authority to Use Force in Iraq, Adviser Says Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- President Bush's authority to use force in Iraq under both U.S. and international law is "clear," says William Howard Taft IV, a U.S. State Department legal adviser
• Rapid Steps to Improve Iraqi Economy Needed after Hostilities End Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- The president of the U.S.-Iraq Business Council, Rubar Sandi, said steps that lead to quick, tangible, and highly visible improvements in the quality of life for Iraqis need to be taken as soon as hostilities end.
• Bush Lauds Operation Iraqi Freedom Troops, Congress AFPS 21 Mar 2003 -- The commander in chief today saluted U.S. service members involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom and members of Congress for endorsing a resolution supporting those troops.
• BUSH/IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- The White House says U-S intelligence officials have confirmed the authenticity of a television appearance by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein broadcast after the start of the fighting.
• EDITORIAL: BRINGING FREEDOM TO IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- The United States and its allies are using decisive force to win the war with Iraq. In an address broadcast worldwide, President George W. Bush said the goal in this conflict is clear: to disarm Iraq, to free its people, and to defend the world from the grave danger of weapons of mass destruction.
• POWELL/IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States is in contact with Iraqi leadership figures through a variety of channels, trying to persuade them that the fall of Saddam Hussein is "inevitable" and that they should not resist coalition forces.
• POWELL/IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States is in contact with Iraqi leadership figures through a variety of channels, trying to persuade them that the fall of Saddam Hussein is "inevitable" and that they should not resist coalition forces.
• EDITORIAL: IRAQ'S VOICES OF FREEDOM VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- For thousands of Iraqi exiles, the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq is the fulfillment of a long-awaited hope. Sayed Moustafa Al-Qazwini [sah-yed moo-stah-fah ahl-Kwah-zen-ee] was a child when he and his family fled the Iraqi secret police in 1968. Al-Qazwini now leads the Islamic Education Center in Orange County, California. He looks forward to an Iraq free of tyranny. He said, "I have hope for a new Iraq, an Iraq based on respect for human rights and democracy."

United Nations

• U-N/IRAQ AID VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- The United Nations Security Council is drawing up plans for immediate humanitarian aid for Iraq. Council members are attempting to retool the Oil for Food program, under which Iraqi oil is sold to buy food, medicine, and other critical supplies.

Foreign Reactions

• U-S / NIGERIA / IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- The Bush administration Friday confirmed a suspension of U-S military aid to Nigeria, but it is denying Nigerian charges that it is retaliation for that country's opposition to the U-S-led war on Iraq.
• BRITAIN / DEMOS VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- London police are bracing for 100-thousand anti-war demonstrators to march through the city on Saturday.
• TURKEY/IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Turkish troops have crossed into northern Iraq in response to fears the U-S led war against Baghdad could encourage the region's Kurdish minority to declare independence. The Bush administration had encouraged Ankara to keep its troops out of Iraq.
• IRAN / MISSILE VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Iran says an Iranian oil depot near the Iraqi border has been struck by a missile Friday, wounding two people.
• BRITAIN/IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Britain's military chief says coalition forces have seized Iraq's key southern oil facilities, apparently averting what could have been a major ecological disaster.
• TURKEY/U-S/IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Turkey and the United States are bogged down in a fresh round of negotiations over the use of Turkish airspace by U-S military aircraft flying into Iraq. As Amberin Zaman reports from Ankara, this latest dispute comes only hours after Turkey's parliament approved the use of Turkish airspace by coalition aircraft.
• IRAQ/ARAB DEMONSTRATIONS VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- For a second day, anti-war protests have swept the Middle East. Thousands of demonstrators spilled into the streets in several Arab capitals following the Muslim midday prayers. Some of the demonstrations turned violent.
• IRAQ/ISRAEL VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Israeli security forces clashed today (Friday) with pro-Iraqi Palestinian demonstrators rioting at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's walled Old City. Palestinians also held mass demonstrations in Gaza against the U-S-led war against Iraq.
• RUSSIA / IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned a meeting of top security officials from the Commonwealth of Independent states (C-I-S) that the U-S-led war against Iraq brings increased risk of instability in other regions, including the C-I-S.
• BRITAIN / IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Britain says Iraq has begun to deliberately set its oil wells on fire in southern Iraq, but, so far, the damage has been less than had been feared. British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon says coalition forces are racing to secure the vast oil region.
• IRAQ / ASIA/ANTI-WAR PROTESTS VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- There were demonstrations in several cities throughout Indonesia. A crowd estimated at around one-thousand gathered in Bandung, with smaller demonstrations reported in Medan and Makassar, on Sulawesi Island.
• TURKEY/U-S/IRAQ VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Turkey and the United States are bogged down in a fresh round of negotiations over the use of Turkish airspace by U-S military aircraft flying into Iraq. As Amberin Zaman reports from Ankara, this latest dispute comes only hours after Turkey's parliament approved the use of Turkish airspace by coalition aircraft.
• SYRIA: UN hails decision to open border, support Iraqi refugees IRIN 21 Mar 2003 -- The UN has hailed the decision of the Syrian government on Thursday to open its borders and offer unlimited support to Iraqi refugees fleeing hostilities in their country, something it had previously refused to do.
• ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: Addis grants US overflight rights IRIN 21 Mar 2003 -- Ethiopia says it has given the US overflight and landing rights in the war against Iraq.

News Reports

• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 6, Number 12 21 Mar 2003 -- IRAQI PRESIDENT CHAIRS MEETING / WHAT THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT TOLD THE NATION / IRAQI INFORMATION AND INTERIOR MINISTERS BRIEF REPORTERS, SAY PRESIDENT ESCAPED ATTACK / IRAQI PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT CONDEMNS 'ACCURSED ACTIONS.' / IRAQI LEADER OFFERS 'CASH AWARDS' TO FIGHTERS / KURDS, OPPOSITION SUPPORT FEDERAL STATE FOR IRAQ / SCIRI TROOPS MARCH THROUGH NORTHERN IRAQ / A TURKISH-KURDISH COMPROMISE? / OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM PUTS PAID TO TEHRAN'S DIPLOMACY / TEHRAN RADIO SAYS BAGHDAD COUNTERING U.S. 'PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE.' / MUJAHEDIN-E KHALQ EXPLORES OPTIONS / BAHRAIN OFFERS EXILE TO IRAQI PRESIDENT / AFGHAN GOVERNMENT BACKS USE OF FORCE TO DISARM IRAQ / ANNAN PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR IRAQI PEOPLE / NATO STRENGTHENS RULES OF ENGAGEMENT FOR NATO FORCES IN TURKEY / WHITE HOUSE RELEASES NAMES OF ADDITIONAL COALITION MEMBERS / EUROPEAN COUNCIL ISSUES STATEMENT / U.S. CONFISCATES IRAQI ASSETS, URGES INTERNATIONAL FREEZE ON HUSSEIN'S HOLDINGS / RUSSIAN GENERALS ANALYZE IRAQ CAMPAIGN / BRITISH PRIME MINISTER ADDRESSES COUNTRY / FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS 'WAR IS NOT THE SOLUTION.' / GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS WAR IS 'WORST OF ALL SOLUTIONS.' / RUSSIAN PRESIDENT DEPLORES U.S. RESORT TO 'LAW OF THE FIST' IN IRAQ / LEADING ECONOMIST PREDICTS STABILIZATION OF OIL PRICES... / ...AS RUSSIAN COMPANIES WRITE OFF THEIR ASSETS IN IRAQ / BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER ADDRESSES THE COUNTRY ABOUT IRAQ / BULGARIAN PRESIDENT SAYS HE CANNOT ACCEPT WAR ON IRAQ
• ANTI-WAR PROTESTS VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are protesting the U-S-led war on Iraq. Thousands of anti-war activists in the United States also intend to keep demonstrating through the weekend.
• CALIFORNIA / WAR REACT VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- U-S activists have increasingly taken to the streets to express their opinion on the U-S-led invasion of Iraq. Americans are divided on the issue. Most support the war, but a vocal minority is speaking out against it.
• IRAQ / OIL FIRES / HEALTH VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Several oil wells were set on fire in southern Iraq this week, filling the air with smoke so thick satellite photos show a black smudge blowing east toward Iran.
• IRAQI SHIITE IMAM / NY VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Iraq is a diverse country of many ethnic and religious groups. But the majority of Iraqis, about 60-percent, are Shiite Muslims, many of whom have suffered human rights abuses at the hands of Saddam Hussein. Like many Iraqi-Americans, the head of the largest Shi'a Muslim congregation in North America is following the events back home and hoping the end will bring a just and democratic future to Iraq.
• US Politics and War (Roundtable) VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- With the allied offensive against Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein now in full swing, most public opinion polls show overwhelming American support for the war and for President Bush's handling of the conflict.
• Muslim Cleric from Iraq Supports Removal of Saddam Hussein Washington File 21 Mar 2003 -- While many Americans gathered around radios and television sets to follow the military action in Iraq, the leader of the largest Shi'ite community in the North America took time to meet with journalists March 20 to express "thanks on behalf of the silent majority of Iraqis -- those who have never been heard in the past."
• ANTI-WAR PROTESTS VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- Demonstrations protesting the U-S-led war against Iraq are increasing around the world, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to show their anger.
• EAST AFRICA / TOURISM VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- The Kenyan government has called for a swift end to the war in Iraq, which is having a serious impact on East Africa's crucial tourism sector. Thousands of visitors have already canceled their holidays to Kenya.
• IRAQ/REFUGEES VOA 21 Mar 2003 -- International relief organizations are bracing for what they say could be a humanitarian crisis in Iraq. Food supplies and medical facilities are expected to be disrupted by the military advance.