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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Washington File

16 April 2003

Locals Help to Restart Basic Functions as Aid Flows into Iraq

(Defense Department report, April 16: Operations in Iraq) (530)
By David Anthony Denny
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- Iraqis are joining in the effort to re-energize the
country's daily functions, while humanitarian aid is flowing in,
according to a Pentagon spokeswoman.
"[M]ore and more Iraqis are stepping forward to provide useful
information and work with coalition forces on restoring police forces,
providing electrical power, reopening schools and getting clean water
flowing again," Defense Department Spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said at
a Pentagon briefing April 16.
"Local councils are forming to help rid cities and towns of regime
remnants, and every day civilians are leading our troops to enemy
caches of large weapons, ammunition, TNT [dynamite], plastic
explosives and homemade bombs," Clarke said. "School, after school,
after school is cleared [of] the weapons and ammunitions stored there
by Iraqi forces," she added.
Also, humanitarian aid is flowing into Iraq, Clarke said. Australia
has plans to spend $60 million on Iraqi aid, she said, while Kuwait
flew 24 tons of medical supplies into Baghdad airport April 12-13.
Turkey delivered a million liters of water to Kirkuk, she said, and
Spain delivered humanitarian aid and military vehicles and troop
supplies on the ship Galicia.
Commenting on the April 15 meeting of dozens of free Iraqis near An
Nasiriyah, Clarke said it was the beginning of Iraqi efforts "to chart
their future course, free from the oppression of the Hussein
dictatorship.
"They talked about freedom and self-government in Iraq; they called
for a country that respects the rule of law and diversity; they
acknowledged that a lot of hard work lies ahead and they called for
the next meeting in just 10 days," Clarke said.
As for the U.S. and coalition role in the political process, Clarke
said it is simple: "to create the conditions so that the Iraqi people
can rebuild their country. Our job is not to pick or choose leaders or
factions. That is up to the Iraqi people," she said.
Other points made in the briefing:
-- Clarke had no further information beyond that from the morning
Central Command briefing in Qatar on the detention of terrorist Abu
Abbas.
-- Major General Stanley McChrystal, who briefed along with Clarke,
said military operations in Iraq are moving more toward providing
support and stability. However, he said "there are some parts of the
country we have not moved into at all."
-- CENTCOM Commander General Tommy Franks has the authority to
redeploy forces already in the Iraq theater, and has done so with two
aircraft carrier battle groups and strike aircraft, McChrystal said.
Particular elements from ground forces, such as water supply and
police units, are to be moved into Iraq, he said, but not others.
-- The shooting incidents in Mosul of April 15 and 16 highlight "the
incredible complexity of the situation," McChrystal said.
-- Capturing Saddam's leadership people remains a top concern, and she
has not heard of large numbers of them getting out of Iraq, Clarke
said.
-- At some point, McChrystal expects that some type of joint task
force headquarters reporting to General Franks will be set up inside
Iraq.
(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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