Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 22 Apr 2004 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty

• Transcript: Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing 22 Apr 2004 -- Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, Deputy Director for Coalition Operations, Dan Senor, Senior Advisor, CPA
• Task Force Danger Soldiers capture suspect, weapons CENTCOM Release 22 Apr 2004-- Task Force Danger Soldiers captured a suspected anti-Coalition insurgent and destroyed weapons sites during operations April 21.
• Reserve components among units extended in Iraq Army News Service 22 Apr 2004-- More than 4,100 Army National Guard Soldiers belonging to units from 14 states will remain on duty in Iraq and Kuwait for an additional three months or so to support the global war against terrorism.
• IRAQ SITREP-UPDATE VOA 22 Apr 2004 -- American Marines appear to be preparing for an assault on the Iraqi town of Fallujah, where military commanders are warning they are poised to resume battle if Sunni insurgents do not quickly comply with an agreement and begin handing in heavy weapons.
• Leaders in Fallujah Have 'Days, Not Weeks' to Comply AFPS 22 Apr 2004 -- It's a matter of "days not weeks" for Fallujans to demonstrate they are serious about honoring the agreement they made earlier this week, Coalition Provisional Authority spokesmen in Iraq said today.
• IRAQ SITREP VOA 22 Apr 2004 -- More American Marines have moved to the outskirts of the Iraqi town of Fallujah where military commanders are again warning they are poised to resume an assault on the city if Sunni militants there do not comply with an agreement to begin handing in heavy weapons.
• Fallujah Rebels Warned to Turn in Weapons VOA News 22 Apr 2004 -- A U.S. general has warned insurgents in the Iraqi town of Fallujah they have only days to give up their weapons or face a renewed U.S. offensive.

Deployments

US Policy

• Transcript: Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Molino Briefing on Remains Transfer Policy 22 Apr 2004 -- Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy John Molino

• CONGRESS - IRAQ VOA 22 Apr 2004 -- U-S lawmakers Thursday pressed Bush administration officials about plans for transferring sovereignty in Iraq to the Iraqi people at the end of June. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held its third hearing in three days on the June 30th handover.
• CONGRESS / IRAQ VOA 22 Apr 2004 -- U-S lawmakers Thursday pressed Bush administration officials about plans for transferring sovereignty in Iraq to the Iraqi people at the end of June. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held its third hearing in three days on the June 30th handover.
• Democracy Necessary for Iraq," Says Bush Washington File 22 Apr 2004 -- President Bush reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Iraq April 21 saying, "We will not cut and run. I believe the people of Iraq will self-govern. And I believe the world will be better off for it."
• Congress Explores Alleged Iraqi Oil-for-Food Abuses Washington File 22 Apr 2004 -- Representative Christopher Shays (Republican from Connecticut) characterized the alleged corruption within the United Nations Oil-for-Food (OFF) program as "a scandal of almost unthinkable scope and seriousness" as he opened a House Government Reform Committee hearing to explore the matter April 21.

United Nations

• Iraq: UN Panel Launches Inquiry Into Tainted Oil-For-Food Program RFE/RL 22 Apr 2004 -- The United Nations has formally launched an inquiry into charges the oil-for-food program in Iraq was abused by UN staff and a wide range of others. The UN Security Council called on all states to cooperate with the probe, which is headed by a prominent former U.S. official, Paul Volcker. But there is doubt about how much support will come from those council states that have been closely linked to improprieties in the program.
• IRAQ: School attendance reportedly dropping, says UNICEF IRIN 22 Apr 2004 -- Many schools in Iraqi cities and towns, which have been plagued by fighting and bomb attacks, have been closed, preventing hundreds of children from receiving basic education.

Reconstruction Issues

Foreign Reactions

• Iraq: Poland's Hesitation Raising New Doubts About Cohesion Of Coalition RFE/RL 22 Apr 2004 -- Poland appears to be expressing doubts about its commitment to keeping troops in Iraq. This comes after decisions by Spain, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic to withdraw their forces. Other states have shown varying degrees of commitment to their Iraq obligations. How strong is the U.S.-led "coalition of the willing"?
• BRITAIN/BLAIR VOA 22 Apr 2004 -- Britain says Iraq's transition to democracy faces a crucial test because of increased terrorist attacks, and London is pushing for the United Nations to lead the way toward creation of a new Iraqi government.
• Speaker stresses Iran`s impartial policy in Iraq IRNA 22 Apr 2004 -- Speaker of Iran`s Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) Mehdi Karroubi here Wednesday evening stressed Tehran`s impartial policy toward Iraq.
• OIC calls for swift withdrawal of occupiers from Iraq IRNA 22 Apr 2004 -- The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) issued a declaration here Thursday calling for swift withdrawal of invaders from Iraq.
• Iranian Officials Discuss Iraq, Nuclear Activities RFE/RL 22 Apr 2004 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said yesterday that instability in Iraq is a threat to Iran's security and his country wants to help the upcoming transfer of power in Iraq to succeed.

News Reports

• Iraq: Prison Bombing Shifts Spotlight Onto Detentions RFE/RL 22 Apr 2004 -- A bomb attack on 20 April on a U.S.-run prison in western Baghdad has highlighted the status of the several thousand Iraqis now held by the U.S.-led coalition. Local politicians and human rights activists complain they have little information on the prisoners. Members of the Iraqi Governing Council say they have little influence over the fate of their co-nationals kept in coalition prisons.
• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 7, Number 15 22 Apr 2004 -- MULTIPLE CAR BOMBINGS TARGET POLICE STATIONS IN AL-BASRAH / FIGHTING BREAKS OUT IN AL-FALLUJAH / MILITANTS ATTACK PRISON, KILLING 21 PRISONERS / DEFENSE MINISTRY ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF TOP GENERALS / IRAQI TRIBUNAL APPOINTS JUDGES, PROSECUTORS TO TRY FORMER REGIME MEMBERS / FOREIGN MINISTRY ANNOUNCES UNDERSECRETARY APPOINTMENTS / IRAQI NEGOTIATORS SEARCH FOR END TO STANDOFF BETWEEN AL-SADR, U.S. / MILITIAS OPERATING CONTRABAND RINGS IN AL-BASRAH / KUWAITI NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER CALLS FOR GREATER UN ROLE IN IRAQ / IRANIAN DELEGATION CONCLUDES FIVE-DAY VISIT TO IRAQ / ANNAN NAMES PANEL TO INVESTIGATE OIL-FOR-FOOD ALLEGATIONS... / ...AS UN TRANSFERS $500 MILLION IN OIL REVENUES TO DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR IRAQ / SPAIN WITHDRAWS TROOPS, OTHER COALITION MEMBERS FOLLOW SUIT / BLAIR ADVOCATES 'CENTRAL ROLE' FOR UN IN IRAQ / U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT EXTENDS TOURS OF 20,000 SOLDIERS / BUSH NOMINATES UN AMBASSADOR TO HEAD BAGHDAD EMBASSY / LEAKED CPA MEMO CLAIMS INSTABILITY, MISTAKES IN IRAQ
• IRAQ: Interview with World Bank head IRIN 22 Apr 2004 -- Faris Hadad-Zervos, head of mission of the World Bank for Iraq, says the focus of the US $400 million interim strategy will be training and capacity building as well as emergency projects. In an interview with IRIN in the Jordanian capital, Amman, he outlined expectations and goals to be reached within a nine-month period.