12 April 2003
U.S., Coalition Find "Wholesale Capitulation" in Northern Iraq
(U.S. Central Command report, April 12: Iraq operational update) (940) By David Anthony Denny Washington File Staff Writer U.S. and coalition forces have seen "wholesale capitulation" in northern Iraq in their 23rd day of combat operations, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, vice director of CENTCOM operations, told the media at an April 12 briefing at CENTCOM facilities near Doha, Qatar, that "effective military forces have not been encountered" in the region of Mosul. He said the situation in northern Iraq changed quickly on April 11. Coalition and Kurdish forces moved into areas that the Iraqi military had abandoned, he said. Because of an increased number of special operations forces around Mosul, meetings with local leaders occurred at which "additional conditions for stability" were set, he said. Additionally, Mosul has set up its own "neighborhood watch" system, to which Brooks referred repeatedly when asked about reports of looting and unrest in other places. Meanwhile, the 173rd Airborne Brigade continued its efforts to secure northern oil field structures, and they were being assisted by local oil field experts, he said. In the west of Iraq, coalition special operations forces entered several facilities at al Qaim: a train station, air defense headquarters, a phosphate plant, a cement factory and a water treatment plant, Brooks said. A couple of drones were found, he said. "[W]e have always had concerns first about [al Qaim's] geographic location, [and] secondly its history of having been involved in the launching of surface-to-surface missiles -- long-range missiles -- into neighboring countries, and also that it might potentially be involved in the weapons of mass destruction [WMD] program," Brooks said. "That's why our attention is focused on it right now," he said. He described enemy resistance there as "much-defeated -- not completed, but much-defeated." Other topics covered at the briefing included these developments: -- Special operations forces entered al Asad airfield and found 15 fixed-wing fighter warplanes, apparently undamaged, hidden under camouflage. -- At a western checkpoint, special operations forces stopped a west-bound bus with 59 military-age men aboard, carrying letters offering financial rewards for killing U.S. soldiers and $630,000 in U.S. currency --- all $100 bills. All were taken into custody, Brooks said. -- Some coalition forces have been re-positioned --- including the 101st Airborne Division --- within Baghdad. Some pockets of resistance were encountered and defeated, Brooks said. In the eastern area of al-Amarah, U.S. and British forces are moving toward each other in order to link up. -- Ground forces continue to move north of Baghdad, looking to encounter and defeat any remaining regime forces, he said. -- The first two humanitarian relief flights landed at Baghdad Airport the night of April 11, Brooks said. They carried water, food and medical supplies, provided by the Kuwaiti government and the international Red Crescent, he said. They had come to Kuwait as part of a 70,000-ton shipment on a United Arab Emirates cargo vessel. -- Water remains a challenge, Brooks said. Coalition forces continue to move water packages forward, and to use their own water purification equipment to make clean water available to send north. -- On April 11 near An Nasiriya, coalition soldiers redistributed supplies of cooking oil, flour and soap that they captured from enemy forces, Brooks said. -- Conditions of law and order are present or absent in varying degrees among and even within cities, Brooks said. He noted that televised film of lootings gave the impression that such acts were more widespread than is the case. Coalition force presence has helped to calm down such situations, and in other instances without coalition presence, local Iraqi leaders have stepped forward to take control of the situation, he said. -- Coalition forces "really don't know at this point" whether Saddam Hussein is dead or alive, Brooks said. "What we do know is that the regime is not in power," he added. -- Coalition forces are still concerned about the possible presence of regime forces in the Tikrit area. But if the city were to fall, he said, that would not be the end of the war. -- Coalition forces are providing their own medical equipment, supplies and expertise where they can, helping to offset Iraqi medical scarcities and shortages, Brooks said. -- Local citizens are coming forward to give information, which coalition forces hope will lead to finding POWS, WMD, conventional arms and munitions, and regime leaders in hiding or on the run, Brooks said. -- On April 11, information from Iraqi citizens led to the seizure of five mobile missile launchers and an al-Samoud missile in Baghdad. -- Prisoners of war are still being sought, and Brooks said that anyone holding them will be held responsible for their safety. He pointed out that the Red Cross should be given access to them. -- A rewards program has been established for helping coalition troops to find the "top 55" regime leaders identified April 11, as well as for locating certain lower-level regime members, information on WMD programs, and weapons caches, Brooks said. "We know [regime leaders] are on the run, and we'll pursue them," he said. -- There are no known oil-well fires in the northern oil fields, Brooks said. "What has yet to be done is a complete assessment of the entire oil infrastructure, and it will be necessary to do that before the work of the oil [industry] can really resume," he said. -- The coalition has not imposed a curfew in Baghdad, Brooks said. Saddam's regime had imposed a curfew, he said. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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