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                        COALITION FORCES LAND COMPONENT COMMAND

NEWS RELEASE

DSN 318.438.2289/COM 99.001.468.2289

May 3, 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coalition Efforts Aid Iraq's Recovery

CAMP DOHA, Kuwait - Coalition forces continue to assist in developing a more safe and secure environment in Iraq.  Among the accomplishments in the last 24 hours:

· Another Gas-Oil Separation Plant (GOSP) is operational in the southern Iraq oil fields near Rumaila.  Currently, approximately 125,000 barrels of crude oil is being pumped daily in Iraq --- 90,000 barrels in the south and 5,000 in the north, as well as 200-300 tons of Liquid Petroleum Gas.

· The bridge spanning the Nahr Al Khazir River, on the main route from Mosul to Irbil, opened yesterday after a ribbon cutting ceremony.

· Police, fire and emergency workers in major Iraqi towns were paid an emergency relief of $20 (USD) during the past week so they can keep working to restore and maintain basic services.

· Six elementary and four high schools reopened in Baghdad yesterday.  Baghdad University is scheduled to reopen in about two weeks.

· Third Infantry Division soldiers removed over 170 truckloads of stockpiled Iraqi ammunition from Baghdad over the last several days.

· Commercial international air service returned to Iraq yesterday when a Virgin Airways airliner landed at Basra International Airport yesterday.  A ceremony was hosted in Basra by Sir Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Airways.  A Virgin Airways airliner delivered about 60 tons of humanitarian assistance supplies to Baghdad yesterday.

· Reserve U.S. Marines with law enforcement experience have been assessing the police practices of Iraqi police and are preparing to hold a professional development course for Iraqi police in the First Marine Expeditionary Force zone.

· Another 342 Iraqi soldiers captured during Operation Iraqi Freedom were released after accepting parole.  2,851 have been paroled to date.  Additionally, 2,894 have been released after determining they were noncombatants.  Currently, approximately 3,600 enemy prisoners of war are being detained by the Coalition.

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