Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 07 May 2004 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty

• Transcript: Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing 07 May 2004 -- Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, Deputy Director for Coalition Operations; and Dan Senor, Senior Adviser, CPA
• IRAQ WRAP VOA 07 May 2004 -- American commanders in Iraq say their soldiers are continuing to take fire from armed militias in several Shiite holy cities in the south, despite having been able to install a new governor in Najaf. In Washington, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld took full responsibility for the abusive treatment of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers.
• Soldier Killed, Two Others Wounded in Baghdad Attack AFPS 07 May 2004 -- Terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may be responsible for the latest death of a U.S. soldier, Coalition Provisional Authority officials said at a Baghdad news conference today.
• IRAQ WRAP VOA 07 May 2004 -- American commanders in Iraq say their soldiers are continuing to take fire from armed militias in several Shiite holy cities in the south, despite having been able to install a new governor in Najaf. And the cleric who has led a month-long Shiite rebellion addressed followers Friday about the abusive treatment of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of American soldiers.
• IRAQ / WRAP VOA 07 May 2004 -- U-S forces tightened their grip on the Iraqi holy city of Najaf as a senior cleric reportedly appealed to the Shi'ite insurgents to leave the city. The leader of the insurgency, Moqtada al-Sadr, delivered a defiant sermon at a mosque in the nearby town of Kufa.
• U.S. Troops In Iraqi Holy City RFE/RL 07 May 2004 -- U.S. troops are maintaining positions in and around Iraq's holy Shi'a city of Al-Najaf today, one day after the military said it killed about 40 fighters loyal to radical Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in nearby Kufa.

Deployments

US Policy

• TESTIMONY OF SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD H. RUMSFELD BEFORE THE SENATE AND HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEES MAY 7, 2004 [PDF]
• Secretary Rumsfeld Announces DoD Detention Operations Review 07 May 2004 -- Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced today that four distinguished citizens have agreed to review Department of Defense detention operations. They will provide independent, professional advice to the Secretary on issues related to recent allegations of mistreatment of detainees. They will address issues such as force structure, training of regular and reserve personnel, organization, detention policy and procedures, interrogation policy and procedures, command relationships and operational practices.
• Secretary Rumsfeld Stakeout after Congressional Hearing 07 May 2004

• Lt. Gen. Lance Smith Outlines Investigation into Prisoner Abuse Washington File 07 May 2004 -- Points raised by Smith during Senate hearing
• Rumsfeld Takes Responsibility for Abuses in Iraq, Apologizes Washington File 07 May 2004 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who had been summoned by members of Congress to address the ongoing furor over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in U.S. custody, apologized to the victims on May 7.
• CONGRESS - RUMSFELD VOA 07 May 2004 -- U-S Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Friday received an earful from U-S lawmakers who are outraged by the images of Iraqi detainees being abused by U-S soldiers and the fact that the Bush administration failed to inform them before the scandal became public. Mr. Rumsfeld appeared before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees.
• PENTAGON/RUMSFELD VOA 07 May 2004 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has apologized to Iraqi prisoners abused by U-S soldiers and accepted full responsibility for the scandal surrounding the mistreatment.
• PENTAGON/RESIGN VOA 07 May 2004 -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld took responsibility on Friday for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops but said he would not resign just to satisfy his political critics.
• Rumsfeld Accepts Responsibility for Abu Ghraib AFPS 07 May 2004 -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld accepted full responsibility for "the terrible activities that occurred at Abu Ghraib."
• Rumsfeld Takes Responsibility For Iraq Abuses RFE/RL 07 May 2004 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today extended his "deepest apology" to Iraqi prisoners abused by U.S. personnel and told a Senate committee that he takes full responsibility for the mistreatment.
• STATEMENT OF HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN REGARDING SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD RUMSFELD US House Armed Services Committee 07 May 2004
• Iraq: Scandal Widens Over Prisoner Abuse RFE/RL 07 May 2004 -- The scandal over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by some U.S. soldiers continues to grow. There are new suggestions that Washington may have known about such incidents months ago, but did not take remedial action. Today, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is due to answer questions before the U.S. Congress as some opposition lawmakers demand he be fired for irresponsibility.

• Powell Says Abuses in Iraq Damage Foreign Policy Goals Washington File 07 May 2004 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said Bush administration officials are "doing everything we can" to tell the rest of the world that the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. forces "is totally unacceptable and it's deplorable."

• Pentagon Official Feith Says "Iraq Has Been Transformed" Washington File 07 May 2004 -- Under Secretary of Defense Douglas Feith told the American Enterprise Institute May 4 that "Iraq has been transformed since last May."

United Nations

• Brahimi meets Governing Council members for talks on Iraqi political transition UN News Centre 07 May 2004 -- United Nations Special Adviser Lakhdar Brahimi continued his discussions in Iraq today on the formation of a caretaker government, meeting with a number of Iraqi Governing Council members to discuss the political transition to take place at the end of June and listen to their views.

Reconstruction Issues

• Natsios Lists Accomplishments in Rebuilding Iraq Washington File 07 May 2004 -- This column by Andrew S. Natsios, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, was published in the New York Post May 7 and is in the public domain. No republication restrictions
• IRAQ/RECONSTRUCTION-SECURITY VOA 07 May 2004 -- In spite of continuing security problems in Iraq, U-S contractors continue to operate there and many report progress in the effort to rebuild the country. That effort is being supported by more than 18 billion dollars in U-S government contracts targetting everything from health care and transportation to oil field services.

Foreign Reactions

• European security body willing to help UN in Iraq and Afghanistan - chairman UN News Centre 07 May 2004 -- The Chairman of Europe's largest security organization today told the United Nations Security Council that if asked, the 55-nation body would be willing to offer its assistance in rebuilding democratic institutions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Chalabi Aide Criticizes Brahimi's Transition Plan RFE/RL 07 May 2004 -- An aide to Iraqi Governing Council member Ahmad Chalabi has renewed objections to the political transition plan proposed by UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, saying the process should be guided by Iraqis.

News Reports

• Al-Sadr Followers Attend Prayers At Sunni Mosque RFE/RL 07 May 2004 -- Followers of radical Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr attended prayers in a Sunni mosque in Baghdad today, in a show of solidarity between the two sects.
• Red Cross Says It Discussed Prison Abuse With U.S. Officials RFE/RL 07 May 2004 -- The Red Cross today confirmed that it warned U.S. officials more than a year ago of abuse taking place in U.S.-run prisons in Iraq.
• Iraqi Cleric Defies U.S. To Lead Prayers At Mosque RFE/RL 07 May 2004 -- Radical Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr reached Kufa near the holy Iraqi city of Al-Najaf today to lead Friday prayers as usual, defying U.S. troops massed nearby, who have vowed to arrest him.
• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 7, Number 16 07 May 2004 -- FIVE-WEEK OLD STANDOFF BETWEEN COALITION, AL-SADR CONTINUES / U.S., U.K. ABUSE OF IRAQI PRISONERS UNCOVERED IN IRAQ / AS IRAQI LEADERS REACT WITH SHOCK / CONTROL OVER AL-FALLUJAH HANDED TO IRAQIS, BUT GOVERNING COUNCIL OBJECTS / GROUP THREATENS TO BRING 'RESISTANCE' TO BAGHDAD / SCIRI MEMBER DENIES LINKS TO IRAN, DEFENDS IRAN-IRAQ RELATIONS / IRAQI UNDERSECRETARY OF CULTURE KIDNAPPED / IRAQI WATER MINISTER DISCUSSES REVITALIZATION PROJECTS / IRAQ GETS A NEW FLAG / QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER SUPPORTS BA'ATHIST RETURN TO IRAQI GOVERNMENT / KHARRAZI SAYS IRAN TRYING TO DIFFUSE SITUATION WITH IRAQI CLERIC / ARAB WORLD REACTS TO PRISONER ABUSE ALLEGATIONS IN IRAQ / UN COLLECTING DATA FOR HUMAN-RIGHTS REPORT ON IRAQ / UN OPENS DISCUSSIONS ON NEW IRAQ RESOLUTION / NATO CHIEF SAYS ALLIANCE WILL NOT SEND TROOPS TO IRAQ WITHOUT UN RESOLUTION / U.K. BANKER OVERSEEING OIL-FOR-FOOD PROBE DEMANDS MORE U.S. ASSISTANCE / EU RELEASES 160 MILLION EUROS FOR PUBLIC SECTOR REHABILITATION / U.S. TO MAINTAIN 138,000 TROOPS IN IRAQ