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Current Operations

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing - ASD PA Clarke and Maj. Gen. McChrystal 02 Apr 2003 -- "Operation Iraqi Freedom moves into its 13th day since major ground forces moved into Iraq. We're now engaging the Republican Guard divisions defending the outskirts of Baghdad, and irregular forces throughout the south supporting the Iraqi regime. We've moved to within 30 miles of Baghdad, but there remains tough fighting ahead."
• TRANSCRIPT OF 4/2 CENTCOM BRIEF CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- "On this 13th day since coalition forces entered Iraq, we continue our pursuit of the objectives set forth in this campaign. (...) The coalition conducted simultaneous attacks over the last 24 hours against regime targets in Baghdad and against regime forces throughout the country."
• Transcript: Media briefing Australia's contribution to Global Operations Australian Ministry of Defence 02 Apr 2003

• IRAQ WRAP 3RD UPDATE VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- American troops are closing in on the Iraqi capital Baghdad, knocking out two divisions of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard as they continue battles with the country's best trained troops. U-S forces have now advanced to within some 30 kilometers of the Iraqi capital, where reports say they are again exchanging more heavy fire with Republican Guard Units.
• COALITION AIRCRAFT DOWN IN IRAQ CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- A Coalition F/A-18C, a single-seat aircraft, went down at approximately 3:45 p.m. EST today during ongoing Coalition air operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• U.S. ARMY V CORPS PROGRESSES THROUGH IRAQ CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- V Corps opened the gates to Baghdad today (April 2) with the destruction of the Medina Division of the Republican Guards in major offensive operations throughout the sector.
• BLACK HAWK CRASHES IN CENTRAL IRAQ CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in central Iraq at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. It was on an operational mission.
• REGIME SHOWS DISREGARD FOR HISTORICAL, RELIGIOUS SITES IN HOLY CITY CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- Three unguided surface-to-surface Iraqi rockets were shot at and impacted near the holy city of An Najaf today, showing the regime's blatant disregard for the concern of important historical sites located in and around the city.
• Bush Leaves War Decisions, Timing, Tactics to Military Commanders Washington File 02 Apr 2003 -- President Bush, as commander in chief of U.S. military forces, leaves "the decisions, the timing, the tactics" to his commanders in the field, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters April 2, in response to questions about who ordered the rescue of U.S. prisoner of war (POW) Private Jessica Lynch.
• U.S. Forces Fight to Within 50 Kilometers of Baghdad Washington File 02 Apr 2003 -- U.S. forces, engaging Iraqi Republican Guard divisions defending Baghdad, have moved to within 50 kilometers of the Iraqi capital, a Defense Department spokesman said April 2 at a Pentagon briefing.
• U.S. Forces Destroy One Iraqi Division, Threaten Two Others Washington File 02 Apr 2003 -- U.S. Marines have destroyed the Baghdad Division of the Iraqi Republican Guard and crossed the Tigris River in the march to Baghdad, while other U.S. forces have engaged and are attacking the Guard's Medina and Nebuchadnezzar Divisions, a Central Command [CENTCOM] briefing officer says.
• I MEF roots out paramilitaries, destroys several Ba'ath party headquarters USMC 02 Apr 2003 -- 1st Marine Division conducted a series of raids and limited objective attacks into more than six towns and villages Monday in the central Iraq area to liberate the local populace from Saddam Hussein and hunt down paramilitary forces.
• U.S. Troops Advance Toward Baghdad RFE/L 02 Apr 2003 -- The U.S. military says coalition forces today advanced within 50 kilometers of Baghdad in a major two-pronged ground offensive south of the capital.
• COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE COMMAND FACILITY IN RADWANIYAH CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- Coalition forces struck a farm used as a command and control facility in Radwaniyah at approximately 11:30 a.m. EST today.
• COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE STORAGE AREA IN BAGHDAD CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- Coalition aircraft struck a heavily secured storage facility of the Iraqi Regime with nearly 40 JDAMs at approximately 2 p.m. EST today.
• IRAQ WRAP 2ND UPDATE VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- -S troops are rapidly closing in on the Iraqi capital Baghdad, knocking out two divisions of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard as they continue battles with Iraq's best trained troops less than 50 kilometers outside the capital. The Pentagon says Iraqi command and control has been significantly reduced but is warning the toughest fighting of the war and the real possibility that Iraq could now unleash chemical weapons -- still lies ahead.
• PENTAGON: FIGHTING FOR BAGHDAD VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- The battle for Baghdad appears to be under way --- and it likely marks the beginning of the end for the Iraqi leadership. But while thousands of Iraqi soldiers --- including at least seven generals --- have already surrendered, there have been no signs yet that the government of Saddam Hussein is prepared to capitulate.
• PENTAGON / WAR VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- U-S forces are drawing closer to Baghdad, with senior defense officials warning of possible tough fighting ahead.
• U.S.-Led Forces 'Destroy' Republican Guard Unit RFE/L 02 Apr 2003 -- U.S.-led troops have made key advances today on two fronts in a coordinated push toward Baghdad.
• Coalition Forces Advance Toward Baghdad RFE/L 02 Apr 2003 -- U.S. forces today accelerated their advance toward Baghdad, launching coordinating attacks on the southeastern and western approaches to the capital, while warplanes bombed Iraqi positions in the capital itself and in the north of Iraq.
• Major Advances Reported In U.S.-Led Push On Baghdad RFE/L 02 Apr 2003 -- There are reports of a major development in the U.S.-led push toward Baghdad today, with U.S. troops saying they have made key advances on two fronts.
• INTERIM RELEASE: REPORT OF RED CRESCENT HOSPITAL BOMBING CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- US Central Command is continuing its investigation into an allegation that Coalition aircraft bombed a Red Crescent maternity hospital in Baghdad, Iraq earlier today.
• FINAL RELEASE: "HUMAN SHIELDS" NOT ATTACKED CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- U.S. Central Command said today that it did not attack a convoy of "human shields."
• INITIAL RELEASE: REPORTS OF CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AT HILLAH CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- U.S. Central Command is continuing its investigation into a report that civilian casualties may have resulted near Hillah, Iraq, as Coalition forces move north toward Baghdad.
• More Details on Lynch Rescue, 11 Bodies Found AFPS 02 Apr 2003 -- Coalition special operations forces rescued Army Pfc. Jessica D. Lynch from the hands of her Iraqi captors during a mission into the town of Nasiriyah, U.S. Central Command officials said today.
• Wounded Marines Recall Harrowing Iraq Combat Experiences AFPS 02 Apr 2003 -- One recalled experiencing a type of blindness caused by darkness and the "fog of war," while the other noted it was hard to see the enemy because of deception.
• IRAQ / RESPONSE VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- A senior Iraqi official says Iraqi forces have destroyed an Apache helicopter and numerous tanks. The official also claimed that coalition airstrikes were responsible for many civilian casualties.
• IRAQ/U-S/MOSQUE VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- The U-S Central Command says Iraqi forces have taken up positions inside one of the world's most important Muslim Shiite shrines in the town of Najaf. A U-S spokesman says the Iraqis are firing on coalition troops from within the compound, but that allied forces have refused to return their fire.
• SADDAM/MESSAGE VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- In a message read on Iraqi state television late Tuesday, the country's Information Minister repeatedly invoked Islam to try to inspire the Iraqi people to fight the U-S-led effort to unseat the Baghdad government. The emphasis on Islam struck many observers as odd because the Iraqi government is based on the staunchly secular Baath party philosophy.
• IRAQ WRAP (L ONLY UPDATE) VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- U-S ground troops have moved to within 50-kilometers of Baghdad after launching a major ground assault Wednesday.
• IRAQ/U-S/REPUBLICAN GUARD VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- U-S forces say they have destroyed a key division of Iraq's Republican Guard and that two others engaged in heavy fighting with U-S troops are in trouble. The claim comes as U-S forces moved closer to Baghdad and battled Republican Guard units defending the city on two fronts.
• IRAQ WRAP VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- U-S ground troops are making a major push on Baghdad from the south on two fronts and a U-S military spokesman says one of Iraq's elite Republican Guard divisions has been destroyed.
• PENTAGON / POW RESCUE VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- The family of U-S Army Private Jessica Lynch, who was rescued by U-S troops after being held prisoner by Iraq forces, is celebrating the release of their daughter but expressing concern for the families of other prisoners.
• PENTAGON / IRAQ VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- U-S led coalition forces are continuing to advance on Baghdad and are now within 50-kilometers of the Iraqi capital.
• IRAQ/U-S BRIEFING VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- Commanders of the coalition seeking to depose the Iraqi government say their forces are fighting elite Republican Guards on several fronts near Baghdad. The offensives come as special forces rescue an American prisoner of war from a hospital in central Iraq.
• Coalition Destroying Iraqi Republican Guard AFPS 02 Apr 2003 -- One Iraqi Republican Guard division is destroyed and others are severely degraded, said Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks during a briefing in Qatar today.
• IRAQI CIVILIAN INJURED CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- An Iraqi civilian was injured at approximately 3 p.m. yesterday when his vehicle was fired upon by an AH-64 Apache helicopter conducting combat operations north of An Najaf.
• INITIAL RELEASE: REPORT OF RED CRESENT HOSPITAL BOMBING CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- US Central Command is looking into an allegation that Coalition aircraft bombed a Red Crescent maternity hospital in Baghdad, Iraq.
• INITIAL RELEASE: REPORTS OF CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AT HILLAH CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- US Central Command is looking into a report that civilian casualties may have resulted near Hillah, Iraq, as Coalition forces move north toward Baghdad.
• INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS VISITS IRAQI PRISONERS OF WAR CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross has started visiting Iraqi prisoners of war held by coalition forces in Iraq.
• CENTCOM STATEMENT ON ALI MOSQUE CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- U.S. Central Command has received reports from An Najaf that Coalition forces in the city are receiving hostile fire from Iraqi forces who have positioned themselves inside the Ali Mosque - one of the most important religious shrines to Shia around the world.
• AMERICAN POW RESCUED YESTERDAY; UNIDENTIFIED REMAINS FOUND CENTCOM 02 Apr 2003 -- Coalition forces rescued Pfc. Jessica Lynch at a hospital yesterday in An Nasiriyah. Lynch is a member of the 507th Maintenance Company whose convoy was ambushed on March 23 by enemy forces in Iraq.
• IRAQ WRAP OVERNIGHTER VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- U-S troops have crossed the Karbala Gap, a major gateway towards Baghdad, in what could be the beginning of a long-awaited push on the Iraqi capital. Meanwhile, U-S forces seized a key bridge across the Tigris River near the town of Kut, that will enable them to move towards Baghdad from the southeast as well as the southwest.
• Iraq / U-S POW VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- Coalition forces in Iraq have freed an American soldier who was taken prisoner in an ambush by Iraqi forces last week.
• B-52 crews use 'smart-guided' cluster bomb AFPN 02 Apr 2003 -- Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crews made history April 2 when they dropped six sensor-fused cluster bombs on a column of Iraqi tanks headed south out of Baghdad.
• Airmen jump in, prepare airfield in northern Iraq AFPN 02 Apr 2003 -- As part of what may be the largest airborne assault since D-Day, 20 airmen of the 86th Contingency Response Group parachuted into northern Iraq on March 27 with more than 1,000 soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
• CENTCOM: Republican Guard division 'destroyed' AFPN 02 Apr 2003 -- With divisions divided and divisions destroyed, April is off to a bad start for Iraq's famed Republican Guard.
• Airlifters play big role in Iraqi Freedom AFPN 02 Apr 2003 -- A C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing was the first U.S. Air Force aircraft to land at an Iraqi airfield in the southern part of the country after it was secured by coalition forces March 27.
• 3ID roots out `hornet's nest' of 3,000 Iraqis Army News 02 Apr 2003 -- The 3rd Infantry Division (Mech.) engaged in heavy fighting today with the Republican Guard's Medina Division near Karbala, Iraq, and some U.S. elements reportedly advanced to within 25 miles of Baghdad.
• Say What You Will, Coalition Slang is Not Just Alphabet Soup Navy NewStand 02 Apr 2003 -- Ask a British military person what football means and the retort will be that it refers to soccer. Ask a similar question to an Australian military person, and the answer will most probably be rugby. An American asked that question would probably inquire if you mean college or the NFL.
• Naval Aviators Rescued After Crash Navy NewStand 02 Apr 2003 -- Coalition forces successfully rescued two U.S. Navy aviators after their F-14A Tomcat crashed early April 2 due to mechanical failure.

• Female B-2 pilot makes history AFPN 02 Apr 2003 -- Military women are continuing to knock down barriers and make history.
• Doctors, corpsman bring new life to Iraq USMC 02 Apr 2003 -- Only a few days after arriving into the area, doctors and corpsman of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) have brought new life to the people of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• Iraqis 'seeing the truth now' USMC 02 Apr 2003 -- Kuwaiti civilians have volunteered to help Marines and other coalition troops bring humanitarian aide to Iraqi people during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Deployments

• Florida Guard's Red Horse unit deploys ACCNS 02 Apr 2003 -- Cheryl Beckman knew this day would come. In her heart and mind she knew it was inescapable. She and her family had been preparing for it months in advance. Yet, it didn't resonate until today.

US Policy

• White House Press Briefing White House 02 Apr 2003
• Briefing on Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq US Dept. of State 02 Apr 2003 -- USAID Administrator Natsios; Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration Arthur E. Dewey; Bruce Davis, Australian Director-General of AusAID; Christian Turner, U.K.'s First Secretary for Post-Conflict and Humanitarian Affair
• Powell, Turkish Foreign Minister Hold Joint Press Conference Washington File 02 Apr 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said April 2 that the United States and Turkey have resolved outstanding issues with respect to transporting through Turkey supplies of food and fuel to sustain coalition forces positioned in northern Iraq as well as humanitarian supplies.
• U.S., Turkey Resolve Outstanding Issues, Powell Says Washington File 02 Apr 2003 -- The United States and Turkey have resolved outstanding issues with respect to transporting through Turkey supplies of food and fuel to sustain coalition forces positioned in northern Iraq as well as humanitarian supplies, Secretary of State Colin Powell said April 2 during a press conference in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
• USAID Giving $200 Million More for Food Aid to Iraq Washington File 02 Apr 2003 -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced April 2 that it is donating an additional $200 million to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to purchase regional food aid for Iraq.
• U.S. to Issue Daily Updates of Humanitarian Aid in Iraq Washington File 02 Apr 2003 -- The U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) April 1 issued the second of what USAID said will be daily fact sheets with updates about humanitarian assistance in Iraq.
• BUSH / IRAQ VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- President Bush travels today (Thursday) to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina - - the home base for many of the marines serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• BUSH / IRAQ O'NITER VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- President Bush travels today (Thursday) to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina - - the home base for many of the marines serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The president will deliver an update on the war.
• CONGRESS / TURKEY VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- U-S lawmakers are questioning whether Turkey should receive a one billion dollar U-S aid package after that country refused to allow U-S troops to deploy from its territory.
• U-S/POSTWAR IRAQ VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- Although the war in Iraq is still raging, U-S officials have drafted plans for a post-war administration of the country. But there is controversy over the plans, which call for an interim administration under direct U-S control.
• Pentagon Spokeswoman: Coalition 'Feeding, Helping Muslims' AFPS 02 Apr 2003 -- Working from the notion that a picture is worth a thousand words, Pentagon officials this afternoon showed reporters and a live television audience around the world photographs of coalition forces providing food aid to Iraqi civilians.
• U.S., Turkey Announce Operation Iraqi Freedom Support Agreement AFPS 02 Apr 2003 -- America's and Turkey's top diplomats today agreed on upgrading Turkish military support for U.S. and coalition forces fighting in Iraq.
• Vice Chairman Calls on Iraqi Commanders To Disobey Illegal and Immoral Orders AFPS 02 Apr 2003 -- While the fate of Saddam Hussein and his regime of thugs is not in doubt, Marine Gen. Peter Pace today said Iraqi military commanders can still determine their own fate and that of their troops.
• EDITORIAL: IRAQIS RESIST SADDAM HUSSEIN VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- The U.S.-led coalition is fighting hard to liberate the people of Iraq as quickly as possible and with a minimum of civilian casualties. But as President George W. Bush pointed out, Saddam Hussein's regime is using fear and murder in an attempt to continue his domination
• BRITAIN/IRAQ VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair says Iraqis should take over the government of their country as quickly as possible after coalition forces topple President Saddam Hussein.
• POWELL/EUROPE VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- Reconstruction and security in post-war Iraq are expected to be the theme of discussion as Secretary of State Colin Powell meets with European Union and NATO officials Thursday in Brussels.
• EDITORIAL: IRAQI POW'S ARE WELL TREATED VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- Thousands of soldiers are abandoning the doomed regime of Saddam Hussein. Many are simply melting into the Iraqi civilian population. Those who have surrendered to the U.S.-led coalition are being treated in accordance with the Geneva conventions and the laws of war, as U.S. General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pointed out

United Nations

• Iraqi informants best hope for finding possible banned weapons - Blix UN News Centre 02 Apr 2003 -- The best chance of finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, if they exist, will emerge from interviews with scientists, the military and managers free from fear of retribution, top United Nations arms inspector Hans Blix said.
• UN agencies ship more water into southern Iraq UN News Centre 02 Apr 2003 -- With the heat already taking a toll on children in southern Iraq, United Nations humanitarian agencies today reported what they hoped was "an improving pattern of access" in bringing clean water and emergency health kits into the area.
• Security Council to remain 'deeply involved' with Iraq in April, President says UN News Centre 02 Apr 2003 -- While the Security Council will continue to be deeply involved with the situation in Iraq, it will also add the issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to its agenda, the President of the 15-nation body for the month of April said today.
• IRAQ / AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- The rights group, Amnesty International, is urging the United Nations to approve sending human rights monitors to Iraq. The group is also calling for an impartial investigation into civilian deaths and urging Iraqi authorities to grant immediate access to U-S prisoners of war.
• US / IRAQ AID (L-ONLY) VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- The United States said Wednesday it is giving 200-million dollars to the U-N's World Food Program for relief efforts in Iraq. U-S officials say they believe enough food aid is now in the pipeline to avoid any widespread hunger among Iraqis until the anticipated resumption of the U-N "oil for food" program in a few months time.
• TURKEY: UNHCR continues preparedness efforts IRIN 02 Apr 2003 -- While no refugees are reported to have crossed into Turkey from neighbouring Iraq, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is persevering with its contingency efforts on the ground together with its humanitarian counterpart, the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC).
• IRAQ: Trucks contracted by UNICEF reach communities IRIN 02 Apr 2003 -- Attempts by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to send humanitarian aid on privately contracted trucks into Iraq via different routes have met with "varying degrees of success", a UNICEF spokesman, Geoffrey Keele, told a news conference on Tuesday in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

Foreign Reactions

• Struggle against troop dispatch mounts in S. Korea KCNA 02 Apr 2003 -- Struggle against the passage of a "motion calling for troop dispatch" to the Iraqi war through the "National Assembly" was reportedly held in Seoul on Mar. 28.
• TURKEY / POWELL VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday that Turkey had agreed to allow the United States to use Turkish territory to re-supply U-S forces in northern Iraq. Mr. Powell's remarks came after talks with Turkish leaders, including his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul.
• SOKOR IRAQ WAR VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- South Korea's Parliament has overwhelmingly approved the dispatch of non-combat troops to support the U-S-led war in Iraq. South Korea's president says support for war in the Persian Gulf will help in the search for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
• Roh Appeals to Nation to Support Troop Dispatch Korea-net 02 Apr 2003 -- President Roh Moo-hyun on Wednesday (April 2) appealed to the nation to back his troop dispatch plan, saying support for the United States is essential to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

News Reports

• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 6, Number 15 02 Apr 2003 -- IRAQ SOLICITS TURKEY'S HELP TO REPEL COALITION FORCES / IRAQ CALLS ON U.S., U.K. TO SURRENDER / IRAQI PRESIDENT AWARDS MEDALS TO COMMANDERS AND FIGHTERS / IRAQ DENIES PRESIDENT'S FAMILY HAS FLED THE COUNTRY / IRAQI PRESIDENT EXTENDS 'AWARDS' TO KURDS / PROPAGANDA MACHINE HARD AT WORK -- IRAQI REGIME CLAIMS TO CAPTURE U.S. 'AGENTS.' / 'INDEPENDENT' IRAQI OPPOSITION GROUP CONVENES IN LONDON / KRG ISSUES STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF OIL-FOR-FOOD / SCIRI DEMANDS FUTURE ROLE IN IRAQ / IRAQI CLERIC ISSUES FATWA SUPPORTING FEDAYEEN OPERATIONS / KURDISTAN ISLAMIC GROUP DEMAND COMPENSATION FOR BOMBING... / ...AS PUK OFFERS AMNESTY TO ANSAR AL-ISLAM MEMBERS WHO SURRENDER / IRAQI TROOPS FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO SURRENDER / JORDANIAN INTELLECTUALS APPEAL TO KING TO TAKE ACTION / SIX IRAQIS ARRESTED TRYING TO INFILTRATE KUWAIT / ARAB VOLUNTEERS SAID TO HAVE GONE TO IRAQ / EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT WARNS OF REPERCUSSIONS / TEHRAN REPORTEDLY OFFERS TO TURN OVER ANSAR AL-ISLAM PERSONNEL / IAEA HEAD PLANS TO RETURN TO IRAQ / CENTCOM BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS IRAQI ASSISTANCE TO COALITION / U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HEADING TO ANKARA / BRITISH PM PENS EXPLANATION FOR ARAB PRESS / RED CROSS VISITS IRAQI POWS IN SOUTHERN IRAQ / U.S. ENVOY EMPLOYING 'SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY' TO KEEP THE PEACE IN NORTHERN IRAQ
• IRAQI MARSHES VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- The war in Iraq is taking place around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, what archaeologists call the cradle of Western civilization. The historic rivers flow into the Mesopotamian marshes, which Biblical scholars believe inspired the Garden of Eden. But in the last decade, those marshes have all but disappeared. The United Nations says the loss of the marshes is a catastrophe on the order of the deforestation of the Amazon rainforests, or the drying of the Aral Sea. The U-N Environmental Program this week said restoring those marshes should be a part of postwar reconstruction.
• WEDNESDAY'S EDITORIALS VOA 02 Apr 2003 -- More editorials about the war, and several closely related topics such as questioning the war plan; the rescue of a U-S prisoner of war; and the deaths of Iraqi civilians, fill U-S editorial columns. Other topics include the new and deadly respiratory illness; the conflict in Afghanistan; and repressing dissent in Cuba.
• IRAQ: Initial humanitarian assessment of Umm Qasr completed IRIN 02 Apr 2003 -- An initial assessment of the food, water, and health situation in the southern Iraqi port town of Umm Qasr by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), has reported the population to be "protein-starved". It is the first humanitarian needs assessment to emerge from Umm Qasr, with information on security, food, water, health, protection, electricity and schools.
• IRAQ: Kuwait border open to humanitarian traffic IRIN 02 Apr 2003 -- The first aid agencies have crossed from Kuwait into southern Iraq after the border was partially opened on Tuesday. Coalition forces declared security in the southern port town of Umm Qasr as “permissive”, along with the coastal route from Kuwait to the port.