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• Transcript: Briefing on Weapons of Mass Destruction Exploitation in Iraq 07 May 2003 -- Briefing on weapons of mass destruction exploitation in Iraq. Participating were Stephen A. Cambone, under secretary of defense for intelligence, and Vice Adm. Lowell E. Jacoby, director, Defense Intelligence Agency
• Transcript: Fifth Corps Commander Live Briefing from Baghdad 07 May 2003 -- Satellite-videoteleconference briefing from Baghdad, Iraq, on the involvement of the 5th Corps in the conflict and in post-war stabilization efforts. Participating were Bryan Whitman, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, and Lt. Gen. William Scott Wallace, commander, U.S. Army 5th Corps

• PENTAGON / IRAQ WEAPONS UPDATE VOA 07 May 2003 -- The Pentagon has confirmed the discovery in Iraq of what appears to be a mobile biological weapons laboratory used by the ousted government of Saddam Hussein.
• Hussein's Suspected Weapons Elude Investigators As U.S. Looks To Low-Ranking Iraqis For Help RFE/L 07 May 2003 -- The United States has said it went to war against the Iraqi regime to disarm it of weapons of mass destruction. Three weeks after the fall of Baghdad, no significant caches of such arms have been found -- and no Iraqis have yet stepped forward to point the way.
• Troops Find Evidence of Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs Washington File 07 May 2003 -- A trailer found by U.S. troops outside the northern Iraqi city of Tall Kayf is suspected of being a mobile biological weapons laboratory from the now-defunct regime of Saddam Hussein, and it is now undergoing extensive testing and evaluation in Baghdad, says a senior Defense Department official.
• Wallace Credits "Power of Combined Arms" for Success in Iraq Washington File 07 May 2003 -- The commander of the U.S. Army's V Corps credits American success in Iraq to "the extraordinary power of the combined arms team."
• Coalition Forces Have Iraqi Mobile Bioweapons Facility AFPS 07 May 2003 -- Coalition forces have obtained an Iraqi mobile biological weapons production facility, defense officials confirmed today. However, no traces of biological weapons have been found on the trailer.
• Army General Says Baghdad Secure, Iraqi People Free AFPS 07 May 2003 -- The Army general who led the battle of Baghdad said today he is "not particularly concerned about security" in the Iraqi capital.
• Iraqi Boy Accidentally Struck and Killed by Coalition Vehicle CENTCOM 07 May 2003 -- An eight-year-old Iraqi boy was accidentally struck and killed here by a High-Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) traveling as part of a military convoy at approximately 3:30 p.m. yesterday.
• PENTAGON/IRAQ WEAPONS VOA 07 May 2003 -- The commander of U-S Army troops in Iraq says coalition forces have collected what he describes as "plenty of evidence" that Saddam Hussein's regime had an active weapons of mass destruction program.
• SADDAM TAPE VOA 07 May 2003 -- A new audio tape, purported to be Saddam Hussein exhorting Iraqis to reject the presence of U-S forces, has surfaced. It is the first alleged tape by the former Iraqi leader since he was ousted from power last month and comes amid questions about whether he may have survived the U-S led war to topple his government. Efforts are underway to determine whether the tape is genuine.
• HAMMUD AL-UBAYDI IN COALITION CUSTODY CENTCOM07 May 2003 -- Ghazi Hammud al-Ubaydi, former Ba'ath Party Regional Command Chairman for the Al-Kut District, is now in Coalition custody.
• U.S. Forces Capture Another On Most-Wanted List RFE/L 07 May 2003 -- U.S. Central Command says coalition forces have in custody another person on the U.S. list of 55 most-wanted former Iraqi officials.
• Seabees Repair Major Iraqi Airfield, Make Humanitarian Aid Possible Navy NewStand 07 May 2003 -- If an airport is more than just a place where planes land, the same can be said about a military air base.
• Camp Patriot: Rotating Door of Diversity Navy NewStand 07 May 2003 -- A joint-service, multinational force of thousands have called Camp Patriot home for months. As major military phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom scale down, the revolutionary diversity and flexibility that has defined Camp Patriot continues.
• Engineers assess Iraqi utility plants Army News 07 May 2003 -- Amidst the whir of numerous water pumps, Col. Robert Nicholson and his team of engineers from Task Force Ironhorse, 4th Infantry Division, began their inspection of a water treatment facility in Ba'Qubah, Iraq May 2 under the watchful eye of the plant manager and the few employees.
• Coalition Forces Provide Security, Stability ARCENT CJTF-7 07 May 2003

Deployments

• Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Returns Home Navy NewStand 07 May 2003 -- USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) returned home to a heroes welcome May 6, after nearly 10 months on deployment.
• Deployed Seabees Return Home Navy NewStand 07 May 2003 -- The first contingent of Seabees from Construction Batallion Unit (CBU) 414 deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, returned home May 6 to the waiting arms of family and friends.

US Policy

• President Removes Iraq Sanctions The White House 07 May 2003 -- "Today I removed the sanctions imposed by the United States against Iraq's old government. First, based on the authority recently given to me by Congress, I am suspending the Iraq Sanctions Act, which restricts the export of certain equipment necessary for Iraq's reconstruction."

• BUSH / SPAIN / IRAQ VOA 07 May 2003 -- President Bush says there appears to be a change of mood at the United Nations, and countries seem willing to work together to help the people of Iraq. He spoke at a joint news conference with a key ally in the effort to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein - - Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.
• Bush Thanks Aznar for Spain's Support against Iraq, Terrorism Washington File 07 May 2003 -- In a joint press availability at the White House May 7, President Bush thanked Spanish President of the Government Jose Maria Aznar for his country's support in the war in Iraq and against terrorism, and for sending medical and engineering units to assist the Iraqi people.
• Bush Thanks Spain's Aznar for His Support on Iraq Washington File 07 May 2003 -- Bush met with President Jose Maria Aznar of Spain late May 7 in the White House Oval Office, and thanked Spain for its support before and during the war on Iraq. The two leaders also discussed the reconstruction of Iraq.
• POWELL / NY VOA 07 May 2003 -- As the United States tries to gain international support for a Security Council resolution lifting sanctions in Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell is stressing the importance of European allies and the vital role of the United Nations.
• U.S. Has Prizes, Punishment For Supporters, Critics Of War RFE/L 07 May 2003 -- Washington looks set to award prizes and punishments to countries that supported or opposed the Iraq war. Poland looks set to take the grand prize -- its own stability force in Iraq paid for by Washington -- while new reports suggest that relations between France and America could go from bad to worse.
• BUSH / IRAQ SANCTIONS VOA 07 May 2003 -- President Bush is urging the U-N Security Council to lift international sanctions against Iraq. He feels confident the United Nations will act to help the Iraqi people.
• Wolfowitz Criticizes Turkey for Not Backing U.S. on Iraq Washington File 07 May 2003 -- In an interview broadcast May 6 on CNN Turk, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz criticized Turkey for not supporting the United States in the campaign against Saddam Hussein's regime or in post-conflict goals for the region.
• IRAQ-BREMER VOA 07 May 2003 -- President Bush has put a new man in charge of Iraq's rebuilding. On Tuesday, it was announced that L-Paul Bremer, a former diplomat and counter-terrorism expert, would be special envoy to Iraq. The move places him above the current head of Iraq's reconstruction, retired U-S general Jay Garner. The change signals a shift in emphasis in Iraq, and a desire by the Bush administration to speed things up there.
• EDITORIAL: VICTIMS OF SADDAM'S TERROR VOA 07 May 2003 -- On a remote corner of the grounds of the Baghdad police academy stands a prison that until recently was the private jail of Uday Hussein, Saddam Hussein's eldest son. Hundreds of prisoners were kept here in dark, crowded cells. They included members of Iraq's national soccer team -- imprisoned for losing to a team from Qatar; drivers who failed to yield to Uday's car; businessmen who failed to pay extortion money; and anyone else Uday didn't like. It is just one of many prisons used by the Saddam Hussein regime to terrorize the Iraq people.

• Bush Orders Lifting of U.S. Sanctions on Iraq Washington File 07 May 2003 -- Following is the text of a presidential memorandum issued May 7 ordering the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Iraq
• Iraq Sanctions VOA 07 May 2003 -- U-S Treasury Secretary John Snow Wednesday announced the lifting of several U-S economic sanctions against Iraq.
• Treasury Lifts Some U.S. Sanctions Against Iraq Washington File 07 May 2003 -- The United States has suspended a series of U.S. economic sanctions imposed on Iraq after it invaded Kuwait in 1990, to help in the rebuilding of Iraq and to speed the delivery of humanitarian aid to Iraqis in need, Treasury Secretary John Snow says.

United Nations

• U.S. And Allies May Seek UN Mandate For Stability Force RFE/L 07 May 2003 -- The proposed international stability force for Iraq could be delayed as one of its leaders, Poland, now says it wants a UN mandate for the mission. The statement could signal the start of a diplomatic drive by Washington and some European partners to win approval from the UN for the new U.S.-led order in Iraq.
• Annan meets with US's Powell, who says new Iraq resolution to come soon UN News Centre 07 May 2003 -- After meeting with Secretary-General Kofi Annan today in New York, Secretary of State Colin Powell of the United States said a new resolution lifting sanctions against Iraq would be presented this week to the members of the Security Council, one that would also give the United Nations a vital role in the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.
• UN coordinates Iraq relief operations with European Union UN News Centre 07 May 2003 -- Continuing his efforts to coordinate relief activities, the top United Nations humanitarian official in Iraq met today with a senior representative of the European Union (EU).
• US / IRAQ / U-N VOA 07 May 2003 -- The Bush administration says it will soon present a draft U-N Security Council resolution to lift international sanctions against Iraq and clear the way for that country to return to the international oil market. Secretary of State Colin Powell says it is time to set aside pre-war disputes at the U-N and help the Iraqi people.
• Powell, Annan Discuss New Iraq Resolution Washington File 07 May 2003 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell May 7 discussed a Security Council draft resolution that would lift sanctions on Iraq with Secretary General Kofi Annan and said that the resolution being prepared by the United States includes a role in Iraq for the United Nations and the secretary general.
• U.S. Preparing U.N. Resolution to Lift Iraqi Sanctions Washington File 07 May 2003 -- The United States will engage in extensive consultations with other members of the United Nations Security Council in the days and weeks ahead in order to put together a resolution to lift U.N. sanctions on Iraq, according to State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher.
• U.S. Seeks Lifting Of UN Sanctions RFE/L 07 May 2003 -- The administration of U.S. President George W. Bush has reiterated its call for the lifting by the United Nations Security Council of all economic sanctions against Iraq.

Reconstruction Issues

• I-C-R-C / IRAQ VOA 07 May 2003 -- The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, just back in Geneva after a two-day visit to Baghdad, says there is not a humanitarian crisis in Iraq, but it is important to continue to improve the security situation there.
• HALLIBURTON / IRAQ VOA 07 May 2003 -- The U-S Army says an oil company previously run by Vice President Dick Cheney may distribute Iraqi oil. The company won a no-bid contract that allows it do more in Iraq than previously thought.
• Baghdad Police Back At Work With New Role Under U.S. Administration RFE/L 07 May 2003 -- The sight of traffic policemen controlling the flow of vehicles at Baghdad's major intersections has given many locals some respite from the chaos and lawlessness of their daily lives.
• IRAQ AND IRAN VOA 07 May 2003 -- Some three-hundred Iraqis representing the country's various ethnic, religious and political groups have met in Baghdad to lay the groundwork for a transitional government. There has been concern that some Shiites backed by Iran would try to undermine steps toward democracy in Iraq. U-S Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said, "A vocal minority clamoring to transform Iraq in Iran's image will not be permitted to do so. We will not allow the Iraqi people's democratic transition to be hijacked by those who might wish to instill another form of dictatorship."

Foreign Reactions

• Azerbaijan: Parliament Approves Iraq Peacekeeping Force RFE/L 07 May 2003 -- Azerbaijan's parliament today approved overwhelmingly the deployment of 150 peacekeepers to Iraq.
• TURKEY: Interview with Iraq coordinator Ambassador Ökçün IRIN 07 May 2003 -- Ambassador Ahmet Rifat Ökçün is responsible for coordinating Turkey’s reconstruction activities in post-conflict Iraq. In an interview with IRIN, Ökçün said his office was doing all it could to assist in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Iraqis. He added that Turkey would be able to draw on its past experience to play a key role in the future reconstruction of Iraq.

News Reports

• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 6, Number 21 07 May 2003 -- AUSTRALIAN DAILY OBTAINS ALLEGED AUDIO TAPE OF DEPOSED PRESIDENT / U.S. ADMINISTRATOR DISCUSSES INTERIM LEADERSHIP / DELEGATES ELECT MAYOR, COUNCIL IN MOSUL / OIL MINISTRY HEAD APPOINTED / 'DR. ANTHRAX' IN COALITION CUSTODY... / ...AS OFFICIALS OF FORMER IRAQI REGIME CAUGHT / DEPOSED PRESIDENT'S SON WITHDREW $1 BILLION BEFORE WAR / IRAQ TELEVISION BUILDING ATTACKED / BAGHDAD'S POLICE CHIEF RESIGNS / MASS GRAVE UNCOVERED / KDP HEAD SAYS PESHMERGA MAY MERGE WITH IRAQI MILITARY / SCIRI HEAD PREPARES FOR POLITICAL ASCENDANCY, OFFERS SECURITY / IRAQI SHI'ITE LEADER CLAIMS REGIME EXECUTED 750,000 / TWO SUSPECTS DETAINED IN KILLING OF SHI'ITE CLERIC IN IRAQ / ICRC PRESIDENT VISITS BAGHDAD / GCC FORCES WITHDRAW FROM KUWAIT / OPEC PRESIDENT SAYS IRAQ WILL REMAIN IN ORGANIZATION / MARTYRED IRAQI CLERICS TO BE COMMEMORATED IN IRAN / IAEA HEAD CALLS FOR UNSC REFORM, RETURN OF INSPECTORS / U.S. NAMES TOP CIVIL ADMINISTRATOR FOR IRAQ / MANY EMBASSIES SET TO REOPEN IN BAGHDAD / U.S. PRESIDENT DECLARES MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS OVER IN IRAQ / COALITION'S OPERATION NORTHERN WATCH ENDS IN IRAQ / U.S. FORCES ATTACKED IN CENTRAL IRAQI CITY / U.S. FORCES LAUNCH RAID IN TIKRIT / ICRC CALLS ON COALITION TO SECURE MASS GRAVES / TEHRAN'S MUJAHEDIN FOES ARE ON U.S. TERRORISM LIST / Iraq Stabilization Force Taking Shape
• IRAQ / JEWS VOA 07 May 2003 -- Some of Iraq's minority religious groups led relatively protected lives under Saddam Hussein's rule. But their movements were also restricted, especially those who were part of Iraq's dwindling Jewish population, which dates back thousands of years.
• IRAQ: Mosques encourage looters to return stolen goods IRIN 07 May 2003 -- Religious leaders have appealed to looters to return medical equipment stolen from hospitals in Baghdad. At Al-Husayniyah District's Majd al-Arab Primary School, boxes of medicines, trolleys, monitoring and other hospital equipment filling one of the classrooms testify to the campaign's success.
• IRAQ: Moves to reopen Basra airport for humanitarian aid IRIN 07 May 2003 -- Moves are being made to reopen Basra International Airport just outside Iraq’s second largest city, something which would expedite the delivery of aid to the country's southern regions by between one and two weeks.