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Current Operations

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing - ASD PA Clarke and Maj. Gen. McChrystal 10 Apr 2003 -- Operation Iraqi Freedom continues. As Ms. Clarke mentioned, and as the secretary and the chairman clearly stated yesterday, the conflict is not over. Since the Saddam statue was toppled yesterday, two U.S. servicemen were killed and several dozen injured in firefights throughout Baghdad and around the country. We continue to discover weapons caches and military equipment hidden and abandoned. Death squads still pose a threat. And there's still coalition forces fighting organized resistance in the north near Tikrit and Mosul."
• TRANSCRIPT OF 4/10 CENTCOM BRIEFING CENTCOM 10 Apr 2003 -- "We have succeeded in maintaining a lethal pressure against Iraqi forces in northern Iraq, and consolidated some gains in the area of Mosul. I talked about that yesterday, up in this area, where Iraqi forces have been pushed back from what was the green line, and under coalition special operations force lead, supported by some Peshmerga, they've moved into that area and begun to consolidate around the area. It's not yet secure; there's still work to be done."
• Transcript: Media Briefing Australia's contribution to Global Operations Australian Department of Defence 10 Apr 2003 -- "We've all seen the dramatic images from Baghdad this morning, and as encouraging as they are, I think it is important to remember there is still a lot of work to be done."
• Transcript: Briefing With Free Iraqi Force Members 10 Apr 2003 -- "I've got soldiers now that are stretched all throughout Iraq with the advancing forces there in Baghdad, Karbala, An Najaf, An Nasiriyah, Basra and now here in Umm Qasr, where we started when we entered Iraq. "

• IRAQ / WRAP 3RD UPD VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Coalition forces have taken control of the key Iraqi city of Kirkuk, as U-S-led troops continue to root out pockets of resistance in Baghdad. Meanwhile, a prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric was murdered in one of the country's holiest Shiite shrines in Najaf, in the center of the country.
• COALITION FORCES CONTINUE TARGET REGIME CENTCOM 10 Apr 2003 -- Coalition aircraft targeted a building near Ar Ramadi inhabited by Saddam Hussein's half-brother, Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, at 5:45 p.m. EST today.
• U.S. MARINES SECURE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS BUILDINGS CENTCOM 10 Apr 2003 -- U.S. Marines from the First Marine Expeditionary Force secured two critical International Committee of the Red Cross operations centers Wednesday evening, preventing looters and paramilitary forces from disrupting assistance and patient care in Baghdad.
• MARINES DEFEAT IRAQI REGIMISTS WHO USED MOSQUE AS FIGHTING POSITION CENTCOM 10 Apr 2003 -- Elements of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force killed and captured enemy forces in heavy combat operations with composite elements of Iraqi fighters conducting combat operations from the Imam Mosque this morning.
• Guided Ordnance A Key to Coalition Success Navy NewStand 10 Apr 2003 -- The enemy forces are lobbing mortar at coalition special forces in northern Iraq.
• IRAQ / WRAP 2ND UPD VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Coalition forces have taken control of the key Iraqi city of Kirkuk, as U-S-led troops continue to root out pockets of resistance in Baghdad. Meanwhile, a prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric was murdered in one of the country's holiest Shi'ite shrines in Najaf, in the center of the country.
• IRAQ / US ARMY GENERAL VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- The commanding general of the U-S Army in Iraq says it is much too soon to declare Baghdad a liberated city.
• U-S STRATEGY IN IRAQ VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- On Wednesday, the enormous hollow statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled in the square of central Baghdad amongst televised images of jubilant crowds in the streets. It seemed to symbolize the end of an era in Iraq and the beginning of something new. For some members of the U-S administration, it represented the culmination of their predictions, and for others a question mark. That controversy is also reflected in the views of U-S political analysts.
• PENTAGON / LOOTING VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Pentagon officials say they will eventually try to stop the massive looting in Baghdad, but the immediate priority is to battle the scattered resistance from Iraqi fighters.
• RUMSFELD / MOSUL VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- U-S Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says Iraq's third largest city, Mosul, appears to be on the verge of falling into the control of U-S-led forces.
• Coalition Continues Fight in Baghdad, Northern Iraq AFPS 10 Apr 2003 -- The deaths of two American service members since Iraqis toppled a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad yesterday emphasized that combat in Iraq is not over.
• Coalition Addressing Iraqi Humanitarian Needs AFPS 10 Apr 2003 -- Coalition forces are addressing concerns about Iraqi humanitarian needs, Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke said today.
• Free Iraqi Forces: 'Members of the Team' Liberating Iraq AFPS 10 Apr 2003 -- They're intimately familiar with Iraqi language and culture, they wear distinctive uniforms, they serve with U.S. civil affairs troops in Iraq -- and they don't like Saddam Hussein.
• TR Chopper Helps HST in Rescue of Downed Pilots Navy NewStand 10 Apr 2003 -- A search and rescue team (SAR) from Helicopter Squadron (HS) 3, deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71), rescued one civilian pilot and assisted a USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) SAR team in the rescue of a second pilot April 7.
• Nimitz Fighters Join War Navy NewStand 10 Apr 2003 -- "We trained like we fight, and now it's time to fight like we trained," said USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Commanding Officer, Capt. Robert J. Gilman.
• Navy Team On The Prowl for Chem/Bio Agents Navy NewStand 10 Apr 2003 -- In the desert of northern Kuwait, south of the Iraqi border in a small, unobtrusive mobile field laboratory are three Navy people; a microbiologist and two advanced laboratory technicians. They are screening environmental samples for biological warfare agents, and they may be the first to find evidence that an attack has occurred.
• Task Force Tarawa Marines aid Iraqi Freedom Force in reclaiming town USMC News 10 Apr 2003 -- With the fight north in Baghdad, it is easy to forget that many small cities and towns south of the capital city are still under the control of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party forces.
• Supply routes secured by Michigan asset USMC News 10 Apr 2003 -- As the convoys of supplies continue to move north to support coalition forces, the Marine Corps Reserve is again answering the call to duty. Providing convoy security, the Saginaw, Mich.-based Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, is putting their lives on hold to do their part to defeat the Iraqi regime.
• Parts of Baghdad Still Dangerous for Coalition Troops AFPS 10 Apr 2003 -- Following yesterday's scenes of jubilation, there was still fighting overnight in parts of Baghdad, U.S. Central Command officials in Qatar said today.
• Shi'ite Leader Assassinated In Najaf RFE/L 10 Apr 2003 -- Senior Iraqi Sh'ite leader Abdul Majid al-Khoei was assassinated at a mosque in the holy city of Najaf, a member of his family foundation told Reuters.
• Suicide Bomber Injures Marines As Pockets Of Resistance Remain RFE/L 10 Apr 2003 -- Contradictory reports are coming tonight from U.S. military sources in Baghdad about a suicide attack against coalition forces in the capital.
• IRAQ/SECURITY VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- In Baghdad, celebration at the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime was tinged with lawlessness, as many Iraqis took the opportunity to grab whatever they could. Coalition troops now face the daunting task of restoring law and order.
• PENTAGON/IRAQ VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- U-S forces are now aggressively targeting Iraq's remaining military units in the north of the country. But a suicide bomb attack on American troops points up the dangers remaining in cities elsewhere, such as Baghdad.
• IRAQ WRAP UPDATE VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Fighting continues in Baghdad with one U-S military spokesman describing the Iraqi capital as "an ugly city." At least one U-S Marine was killed and several more were wounded in a suicide bombing attack in Baghdad while coalition troops engaged Saddam loyalists in another part of Baghdad.
• Coalition air forces continue busy pace AFPN 10 Apr 2003 -- As dramatic scenes of liberation dominate media coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom, coalition air forces continue to contribute significant behind-the-scenes efforts in the three-week-old war.
• TOC back up after Iraqi missile hit Army News 10 Apr 2003 -- As the battle for Baghdad raged April 7, a brigade tactical operations center of the 3rd Infantry Division took a direct hit from an enemy missile, killing two soldiers, two civilian journalists and wounding 17 soldiers.
• U.S. Military Officials Say Baghdad Is Still Not Secure Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- While U.S. Army and Marine forces have succeeded in encircling Baghdad and now control access to the city, the entire city has not been secured because there are still pockets of Republican Guard, Special Republican Guard and paramilitary forces fighting, a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM} spokesman says.
• Iraqi Security Situation Is Erratic, Pentagon Says Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke says the security situation is erratic throughout Iraq, but that some local leaders in the south, including clerics, are encouraging Iraqis not to loot.
• IRAQ / TURKEY / KURDS VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Kurdish fighters have seized control of Iraq's oil producing province of Kirkuk, prompting Turkey to announce it would send military observers to the region. The United States acts to alleviate Turkey's concerns.
• PENTAGON / IRAQ VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Top Pentagon officials say U-S forces are aggressively attacking Iraq's remaining military units in the northern part of the country.
• PENTAGON / SUICIDE BOMBING VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Top Pentagon officials say they are very concerned about the latest suicide bombing in Iraq that killed at least one coalition soldier and wounded several others.
• Allies Shift Focus North Of Baghdad To Tikrit RFE/L 10 Apr 2003 -- With central Baghdad under U.S. control, the focus of the coalition in Iraq shifted to Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, where a major battle may be looming.
• U.S. Troops In Baghdad Mosque Battle RFE/L 10 Apr 2003 -- There are reports of a fierce firefight in Baghdad today between U.S. troops and forces loyal to Saddam Hussein.
• Oil City Of Kirkuk Falls To Coalition, Kurds RFE/L 10 Apr 2003 -- Coalition-backed Kurdish fighters today captured the northern Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk.
• IRAQ-U-S BRIEFING/QAIM VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- A top U-S general says U-S forces are gaining control of the strategically important area around the town of Qaim, on Iraq's border with Syria, from which Iraqi forces could fire surface-to-surface missiles at Israel. The town is also on a major road to Syria that could be used by Iraqi leaders to flee the country.
• IRAQ WRAP VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- U-S troops in Baghdad continue to encounter pockets of resistance from fighters loyal to Saddam Hussein, one-day after the collapse of the regime in the capital. Meanwhile, coalition forces in some areas of Iraq are shifting focus, where they can, to securing and rebuilding the country.
• IRAQ / U-S BRIEFING / BAGHDAD VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- A senior U-S general in the Gulf says U-S forces have completed encircling Baghdad to prevent Iraqi reinforcements from moving into the city and Iraqi leaders from leaving it.
• IRAQ/U-S BRIEFING VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Coalition combat operations are underway in Baghdad, as well as northern and western Iraq, as resistance from remnants of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime continued a day after the collapse of the government.
• IRAQ/WRAP OVERNIGHTER VOA 10 Apr 2003-- A day after jubilant celebrations on the streets of Baghdad over the apparent downfall of Saddam Hussein, heavy fighting has resumed between U-S Marines and remnants of the Iraqi regime along the northern banks of the Tigris River

Deployments

• Airborne RED HORSE takes the field ACCNS 10 Apr 2003 -- The Air Force has a new capability thanks to the members of three new Airborne RED HORSE teams.

US Policy

• President's Message to the Iraqi People 10 Apr 2003 -- "This is George W Bush, the President of the United States. At this moment, the regime of Saddam Hussein is being removed from power, and a long era of fear and cruelty is ending. American and coalition forces are now operating inside Baghdad - and we will not stop until Saddam's corrupt gang is gone. The government of Iraq, and the future of your country, will soon belong to you."

• White House Press Briefing White House 10 Apr 2003
• Snow Urges G-7 to Discuss Iraq Reconstruction Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- Treasury Secretary John Snow says the finance ministers of the Group of Seven (G-7) industrialized economies should use their upcoming meetings in Washington to discuss ways to help revitalize the Iraqi economy and begin a review of Iraq's foreign debt problem.
• Larson Says U.S. Goal Is a Whole, Free, Peaceful Iraq Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- U.S. and coalition partners engaged in the liberation of Iraq are laying the groundwork to help Iraqis build a country that is whole, peaceful, free of weapons of mass destruction, no longer a haven for terrorists, and moving toward democracy, U.S. Under Secretary of State Alan Larson says.
• U.S. Hopes for Active European Role in Iraq, Powell Says Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- The United States hopes all of Europe will participate in the reconstruction, rebuilding and stability efforts in Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell said April 10 in an interview with NOS Dutch Television.
• Powell Says U.S. Helping Iraqis Organize Process for New Government Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States is working with representatives of various Iraqi groups to organize a process that will ultimately allow the Iraqi people to decide how and by whom they will be governed.
• Powell Says U.S. to Help Iraqi People Reconstruct Their Society Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States must help the Iraqi people reconstruct their society following the destruction wrought by the regime of Saddam Hussein over the last several decades.
• Government, Future "Will Belong to You," Bush Tells Iraqis Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- The Saddam Hussein regime and its "long era of fear and cruelty" are ending, President Bush told the Iraqi people in a radio and television broadcast April 10. American and coalition forces are in Baghdad, he said, and "will not stop until Saddam's corrupt gang is gone. The government of Iraq, and the future of your country, will soon belong to you."
• Helping Iraqis Create Democratic Government is U.S. "Sole Goal" Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said the United States is "fully committed" to helping the Iraqi people to create a democratic government that represents all its communities.
• U.S. Seeks International Cooperation in Rebuilding Iraq Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- The U.S. goal in Iraq now is to get the international community "to get together and help rebuild Iraq for the sake of its people," says State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher.
• Armitage Says Coalition's Mission Is to Provide Security, Destroy WMD Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- Coalition forces will remain in Iraq only as long as it takes to provide political stability and seek out and destroy weapons of mass destruction, said Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
• 'Your Nation Will be Free,' Bush Tells Iraqis AFPS 10 Apr 2003 -- U.S. and coalition forces operating in Iraq will not stop until "Saddam's corrupt gang is gone," President Bush told the Iraqi people this morning.
• U-S/TURKEY/KURDS VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- The Bush administration says it has assured Turkey that it will not allow Kurdish forces to control the oil-rich region around the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. This week's move by Kurdish militiamen into the Kirkuk area has revived Turkish concerns about a possible Kurdish independence bid.
• CONGRESS / SYRIA VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are upset about possible Syrian backing for hold-out supporters of Saddam Hussein, and some want the administration to make their concern clear to Damascus.
• BUSH/KIRKUK VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- The White House says U-S troops will control the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, following Turkish concerns that ethnic Kurds might use the city to push for wider Kurdish independence.
• U-S/ POSTWAR IRAQ VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- With the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, the United States is moving quickly to bring together a group of Iraqis and Iraqi exiles to plan an interim government. A senior U-S official offered details of the administration's plans to a Senate panel Thursday.
• EDITORIAL: IRAQIS WELCOME THE COALITION VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Until recently, the Iraqi people were frightened, intimidated, and brutalized by the Saddam Hussein regime's secret police and death squads. They did not dare show their true feelings. But as U.S.-led coalition troops moved through one neighborhood after another, Iraqi crowds rejoiced with smiles, waves, and cheers.
• BUSH KIRKUK VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- The White House says U-S troops will control the oil-rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk, following Turkish concerns that ethnic Kurds might use the city to push for wider Kurdish independence.
• PENTAGON: FALSE IMPRESSIONS VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says there is no question but that some Arab news media have tried to convey what he considers a "false" impression about the U-S led military operation in Iraq.
• BUSH/BLAIR/IRAQ VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- President Bush appeared on television in Baghdad, telling the Iraqi people that they soon will be free from the government of Saddam Hussein.
• EDITORIAL: IRAQ AFTER SADDAM VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- The U.S.-led coalition has a clear goal in Iraq. The coalition is committed to disarming the Saddam Hussein regime and removing all remnants of it from power. The enemy is the Saddam Hussein regime, not the Iraqi people. In fighting this war, the coalition is taking every precaution to protect Iraqi civilians.
• BLAIR / IRAQ VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have recorded video messages for the Iraqi people, which are to be broadcast inside Iraq in the coming days.
• U-S-Syria-Iraq VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- The State Department said Thursday it has been told by Syria that it is closing its border with Iraq to all but humanitarian traffic. This follows charges by Bush administration officials that Syria have may allowed arms and Arab volunteers across its border to help the Saddam Hussein regime.
• Wolfowitz: NATO Important Anchor; Iraqis Responsible for New Government AFPS 10 Apr 2003 -- Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz today told U.S. Senate members that NATO remains a key partner in national security matters, and emphasized the importance for the Iraqis to choose their own leaders in the post-Saddam era.

United Nations

• PRESS CONFERENCE ON IRAQ HUMANITARIAN SITUATION United Nations 10 Apr 2003
• UN agencies alarmed at security situation in Iraq but some planning to go back UN News Centre 10 Apr 2003 -- Even as United Nations relief agencies reported chaotic scenes from Baghdad, with a hospital and UN compounds being looted, plans were underway today to send some international humanitarian aid staff back into the country within the next few days, security permitting.
• With no apparent government in Iraq, Annan flags law and order concerns UN News Centre 10 Apr 2003 -- Noting that there appeared to be no functioning government in Iraq, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today recalled that the Security Council had reaffirmed that the coalition had the responsibility for the welfare of the people in the areas of Iraq under its control.
• ANNAN/ IRAQ VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- U-N Secretary General Kofi Annan says there are no signs of a government in Iraq. The U-N leader expressed concern about scenes of looting and general lawlessness.
• IRAQ: Response to UN appeal poor IRIN 10 Apr 2003 -- Nearly two weeks after the launch of a massive UN emergency appeal for Iraq, humanitarian programmes remain desperately underfunded.
• IRAQ: Interview with UN humanitarian coordinator IRIN 10 Apr 2003 -- Three weeks into the conflict in Iraq with the fall of the capital, Baghdad, and the end of hostilities in sight, United Nations agencies and NGOs are preparing to launch a huge humanitarian relief operation country-wide when security improves. This coincides with international debate over the role of the UN in the post-Saddam era in Iraq, both in the short and long term.
• IRAQ: Focus on Oil-for-Food Programme IRIN 10 Apr 2003 -- With widespread reports of looting in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Basra following the arrival of coalition forces, UN agencies have expressed concern over decreased capacity to resume the vital lifeline of the UN sanctioned Oil-for-Food Programme (OFFP), suspended since the outbreak of hostilities on 20 March.

Foreign Reactions

• PM Blair's message broadcast to Iraqi people 10 Downing Street 10 Apr 2003 -- "We want to give you the chance to rebuild your country; to rebuild your lives; to give your families a chance of a better future. It is in the spirit of friendship and goodwill that we now offer our help."
• U-N / ARAB LEAGUE VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- The head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, is calling for Arab unity, warning of a so-called domino effect following the fall of Saddam Hussein's government in the U-S led war in Iraq.
• U.S. urged to stop threatening Syria KCNA 10 Apr 2003 -- The U.S. is threatening, pressurizing and blackmailing Syria, groundlessly charging that it has provided Iraq with military supplies and it will be held responsible for the ensuing consequences. Rodong Sinmun today carries a signed commentary in this regard.
• VIEW FROM KUWAIT VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Reaction to the fall of Baghdad varied in the Middle East, but in Kuwait City, a majority of the people were pleased.
• ANTI-AMERICAN TIDE? VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- A U-S-led coalition has liberated the Iraqi people from the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein. But before the fall of Baghdad, there were many protests against the war in Iraq.
• MEXICO/WAR REACT VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- The war in Iraq is being followed closely in Mexico where anti-war sentiment has been dampened some by the images of celebrating Iraqis. There is also interest in the fate of Mexican-Americans serving in the U-S Armed Forces.
• IRAQ / ARAB REACT VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Throughout the Arab world, there is a sense of shock that the regime of Saddam Hussein fell so quickly. While few Arabs say they support Saddam Hussein, many of them say they were expecting the people of Iraq to put up a greater fight. There is concern, especially among Arab governments, about the effect the war in Iraq could have on the entire region.
• CHINA / IRAQ REACT VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- China says the United Nations must play a leading role in rebuilding post-war Iraq. The comments were made as the United States plans for an interim government in the country.
• INDIA / IRAQ VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- India's government is watching the situation in Iraq very closely, and hopes the fighting ends soon. Iraqi diplomats in India are struggling to get word from Baghdad.
• AUSTRALIA IRAQ VOA 10 Apr 2003-- Australia's government will join the United States and Britain in helping build a new government for Iraq. The government has hailed the fall of Baghdad, but top officials warn the war is not yet over
• IRAQ / ASIA REACT VOA 10 Apr 2003-- U-S allies in Asia have welcomed the apparent fall of Saddam Hussein's government and pledged to support Iraq's reconstruction

News Reports

• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 6, Number 17 10 Apr 2003 -- A TOPPLED IRAQI LEADER / IN IRAQ, NEXT COMES THE HARD PART / IRAQI SHI'A AND A POST-SADDAM IRAQ / RUSSIAN EXPERTS MULL IRAQ'S POLITICAL FUTURE / PRELIMINARY POSTMORTEM: THE ARAB PRESS AND THE FALL OF SADDAM / THE MEDIA ENVIRONMENT IN IRAQ
• The Geneva Convention VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- In Focus today: Iraq War and Geneva Conventions. Faced with the military power of the coalition forces, the Iraqi government resorted to unconventional guerrilla tactics, often in violation of basic international laws of armed conflict. Some actions of allied troops in Iraq war have also been criticized.
• IRAQ AGRICULTURAL RECOVERY VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- The U-S led military coalition in Iraq continues its apparently successful campaign to destroy the Hussein regime and liberate the country. Of course, the war has disrupted normal life. There have been many hundreds of military and civilian casualties. There are shortages of water, food and medicine. But United Nations officials in Iraq report only pockets of humanitarian need -- not a massive humanitarian crisis -- resulting from the Iraq war. They see no significant movement of war refugees, nor evidence of famine or starvation.
• THE FUTURE OF IRAQ VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- The regime of Saddam Hussein crumbled as U-S-led coalition forces entered Baghdad. Freed from the oppressive fear that Saddam instilled, crowds took to the streets to welcome the Americans. Iraqis expressed their newfound freedom directly, hammering away at a monumental statue of Saddam. They enlisted the help of U-S troops in pulling down the statue, toppling it from its massive pedestal. The Iraqi crowd cheered as they danced and stomped on the fallen image of the dictator. But the defeat of the regime brings a new challenge: the reconstruction of a free Iraq. What are the prospects for a democratic Iraq that respects the rights of its citizens?
• Another Look at the Embedded Reporters in Iraq VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- As the war in Iraq continues, more than 500 reporters are providing coverage as they accompany or are "embedded" with American and other coalition forces. The program has drawn a mixed response from journalists, academics and the American public. What role are these embedded correspondents playing in the efforts of U.S. officials, politicians and journalists to present their views of the war?
• JEWISH TROOPS / PASSOVER VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- For weeks, U-S soldiers fighting in Iraq have consumed pre-packaged food rations called M-R-Es, which is short for "Meals Ready to Eat." But some troops will soon receive a different form of nourishment. Jewish-American organizations are sending thousands of specialized meals to Jewish soldiers serving in Iraq and elsewhere for the Passover holiday that begins next week.
• BACKGROUND REPORT Aid for Iraq (UPDATED) VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Even as Iraqis celebrated in Baghdad, fighting continued in parts of the city and other areas of Iraq. The situation has slowed humanitarian aid efforts. On Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross restarted its work in Baghdad after a one-day suspension. But the Red Cross expressed concern about widespread attacks and stealing in the capital. The suspension followed the killing Tuesday of a Canadian Red Cross worker in gunfire between American and Iraqi forces.
• U.S. Faces Immense Challenges in Iraq, Scholars Say Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- U.S. scholars assessing coalition military strategy in the war against Iraq's Saddam Hussein and the challenges of rebuilding a post-war Iraq said the United States must first establish security and meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people.
• World Bank Will Help Iraq if Asked, Bank President Says Washington File 10 Apr 2003 -- The World Bank is ready to assist Iraq with reconstruction aid if asked, says Bank President James Wolfensohn.
• CONGRESS HONORS MILITARY VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Members of Congress have paid tribute to U-S and coalition military forces in Iraq. Lawmakers set aside political affiliations in a Capitol Hill ceremony honoring those who have fought and died in the Iraq campaign:
• NEW YORK/ RALLY VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- As many as 15-thousand New Yorkers, mostly union workers, gathered today (Thursday) at the site of the devastated World Trade Center, known as Ground Zero, for a rally in support of U-S troops in Iraq.
• BACKGROUND REPORT Iraqi Oil VOA 10 Apr 2003 -- Most of the money needed to rebuild Iraq after the war will likely come from its major export -- oil. American Vice President Dick Cheney says Iraq could produce up to three-and-a-half million barrels of oil a day by the end of this year. This would be a fifty percent increase from last year. First, though, Mister Cheney said Iraq needs international help to get its fields to pump oil again.
• IRAQ: ICRC resumes work as hospitals in Baghdad endure shortages IRIN 10 Apr 2003 -- As war casualties continue to crowd Baghdad hospitals, many medicines remain in short supply and vital staff are unable to work.