Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Operations
Deployments
US Policy
United Nations
Reconstruction Issues
Foreign Reactions
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 14 Apr 2004 [PDF]
• 1st Infantry Division Soldiers Kill One ACF After Attack [CJTF-7 News Release] April 14, 2004
• Four Marines Killed in Al Anbar Province [CJTF-7 News Release] April 14, 2004
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

• IED doesn't stop 1-8 Cav Army News Service 14 Apr 2004-- April 2 will probably be a day Spc. Timothy Briggs never forgets.
• ITALY/HOSTAGE KILLED VOA 14 Apr 2004 -- The Italian government has confirmed the execution of one of the Italian hostages in Iraq. Confirmation was given by Foreign Minister Franco Frattini during a late Wednesday night talk show on state television.
• U.S. Forces Close In On Al-Najaf RFE/RL 14 Apr 2004 -- U.S. forces tightened their grip today around the Iraqi town of Al-Najaf, where they believe Shi'a cleric and militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr is sheltering.
• IRAQ SITREP UPDATE VOA 14 Apr 2004 -- A build-up of U-S military force continues near the Iraqi city of Najaf, where Shiite militias are being warned to drop their weapons, or risk an assault by the U-S led coalition. Correspondent Nick Simeone reports a top United Nations envoy in Iraq is warning the current level of violence will have to diminish, if elections are going to be held in the country by early next year.
• Myers, Abizaid Hold Strategy Session in Baghdad AFPS 14 Apr 2004 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commander of U.S. Central Command held discussions about the situation in Iraq here today.
• Anbar Fighting, Roadside Bomb Near Baghdad Claim American Lives AFPS 14 Apr 2004 -- Four Marines assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force died in recent fighting in Iraq's Anbar province, and a roadside bomb south of Baghdad claimed the life of a 1st Infantry Division soldier.
• IRAQ SITREP VOA 04 Apr 2004 -- A build-up of U-S military force continues near the Iraqi city of Najaf, where Shiite militias are being warned to drop their weapons, or risk an all out assault by the U-S led coalition. A top United Nations envoy in Iraq is warning the current level of violence will have to diminish, if elections are going to be held in the country by early next year.
• U.S. Troops Mass Outside Al-Najaf; Truce Extended In Al-Fallujah RFE/RL 14 Apr 2004 -- U.S. forces are gathered on the northern outskirts of Al-Najaf today and are preparing for possible military action against a radical Shi'a militia force whose leader is thought to be sheltering in the city.
• ATC Marines maintain order in the skies Marine Corps News 14 Apr 2004-- For the air traffic controllers of Detachment Alpha, Marine Air Control Squadron 1, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II meant a chance for them to put their training and certifications to use.

Deployments

US Policy

• U-S / IRAN / IRAQ VOA 14 Apr 2004 -- Senior U-S officials say that Britain, and not the United States, invited an Iranian team to visit Iraq. But they say the Bush administration did not oppose the gesture and believes Iran could play a helpful role in defusing tensions between the U-S-led coalition and Iraqi Shiites.
• Despite 'Tough' Period, U.S. Won't Waver in Iraq, Bush Says AFPS 14 Apr 2004 -- The United States will continue in its commitment to an independent, free and secure Iraq, and the United States "must not waver" despite "a tough, tough period," President Bush said at an April 13 news conference.
• U.S./Iraq: Bush Says Resistance Will Be Short REF/RL 04 Apr 2004 -- U.S. President George W. Bush held a major news conference at the White House on 13 April in the middle of the deadliest month for Americans in Iraq since Baghdad fell a year ago. He spoke of the recent surge in violence there, but urged his countrymen not to lose faith. He also said he would adhere to the 30 June deadline for handing over sovereignty to Iraqis.

United Nations

• U.N. Envoy Says Iraq Needs "Urgent" Political Process Washington File 14 Apr 2004 -- The increase in violence in Iraq makes it "more important and more urgent" to continue the political process of setting up an interim government, the chief U.N. envoy to Iraq said April 14.
• U.N. Official Sketches Out Iraq Government After June 30 AFPS 14 Apr 2004 -- U.N. special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi emphasized today that Iraqi elections scheduled for January 2005 are "the most important milestone" for the country in its progress toward sovereignty.
• UN confident Iraqi interim government will be formed ahead of power transfer - Brahimi UN News Centre 14 Apr 2004 -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Adviser, Lakhdar Brahimi, said today the United Nations was confident an Iraqi caretaker government could be formed ahead of the transfer of power at the end of June to guide the country until free and fair elections are held in January 2005.

Reconstruction Issues

• IRAQ: Female harassment from religious conservatives IRIN 14 Apr 2004 -- Many women in the southern Iraqi city of Basra say they have been forced to wear a headscarf or restrict their movements in fear of harassment from men.

Foreign Reactions

• IRAQ: THE UN MUST 'TAKE OVER THE MESS OF IRAQI RECONSTRUCTION' US Dept. of State IIP, Foreign Media Reaction 14 Apr 2004
• ITALY/ IRAQ VOA 14 Apr 2004 -- Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Wednesday there will be no negotiation with the kidnappers of four Italians held hostage in Iraq. He also urged other countries to join the U-S led coalition in Iraq to help improve the difficult situation there.
• Iraq: Association Of Muslim Clerics Emerging As Moderate Voice Of Sunnis REF/RL 04 Apr 2004 -- The Association of Muslim Clerics is emerging as a moderate political voice for Iraq's Sunni Muslims. It is opposed to the U.S. occupation but helped to broker the shaky cease-fire in Al-Fallujah. It has also condemned the taking of foreign hostages in Iraq and has been helping to mediate their release.
• Iranians Arrive For Talks With Iraqi Militia Leader REF/RL 04 Apr 2004 -- An Iranian Foreign Ministry delegation arrived in Iraq today to seek a resolution to the current standoff between the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and radical Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has pledged to rid Iraq of occupation forces.
• German elite anti-terror force to stay in Iraq despite agents` death IRNA 14 Apr 2004 -- Germany`s elite anti-terror force GSG-9 is to remain in Iraq despite the death of two of its agents who were killed last week during an attack on their convoy near the town of Fallujah, the daily Frankfurter Rundschau reported Wednesday.
• Berlin `rules out completely` sending troops to Iraq IRNA 14 Apr 2004 -- The German government has ruled out again the deployment of troops in war-stricken Iraq but has voiced continued readiness to provide humanitarian aid and help in the country`s rebuilding process, a top German official said here Wednesday.
• IRAQ/EGYPT VOA 14 Apr 2004 -- Egypt is offering assistance in the effort to rebuild Iraq. Egypt's president has said his country is willing to help train Iraqi police. In the meantime, Iranian officials say there has been correspondence with Washington regarding an Iranian role in helping to bring stability to Iraq.
• PAKISTAN/IRAQ VOA 14 Apr 2004 -- For the first time, Pakistan says it will consider a request from the United States to send some of its troops to Iraq. Pakistan insists a deployment would have to be linked to a United Nations presence in Iraq.
• BRITAIN / U-S / IRAQ VOA 14 Apr 2004 -- British defense and foreign policy experts say Prime Minister Tony Blair should appeal to President Bush for softer military tactics in Iraq and a bigger role for the United Nations when they meet in Washington on Friday.
• IRAQ: Baghdad hospital treating injured from Fallujah IRIN 14 Apr 2004 -- Carrying a white flag when trying to escape from their house in the military district of Fallujah, 50 km northwest of Baghdad, Naser and his family of three were all shot at by snipers they say, but managed to make it to Numan hospital in the capital.

News Reports

• Iraqi Court Convicts Three for Planting Roadside Bomb AFPS 14 Apr 2004 -- A three-judge panel of the Central Criminal Court of Iraq tried and convicted three Iraqi men today for actions against coalition forces, Combined Joint Task Force 7 announced in a news release.
• BUSH NEWS CONFERENCE VOA 04 Apr 2004 -- At his news conference Tuesday evening, President Bush reasserted his commitment to put down the violence in Iraq and to transfer power to a democratic government by June 30th. Many U-S dailies give the president credit for his resolve, but fault him for failing to admit any mistakes, or provide details on Iraq's future.