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

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 30 Jul 2004 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

• SOLDIERS CAPTURE ANTI-IRAQI FORCES, FIND IEDS CENTCOM 30 Jul 2004 -- Multi-National Force Soldiers along with the Iraqi National Guard captured five men suspected of manufacturing vehicle borne improvised explosive devices during a cordon and search in Baghdad around 10 p.m. July 29.
• MARINES AND IRAQ SECURITY FORCES RESPOND TO AIF ATTACKS CENTCOM 30 Jul 2004 -- Marines of the I Marine Expeditionary Force responded with tanks and artillery fire to repeated anti-Iraqi force attacks on a position the Marines held near Fallujah Thursday evening.
• Marines in Fallujah Respond to Mortar Fire AFPS 30 Jul 2004 -- U.S. Marines used tanks and artillery fire July 29 to respond to enemy attacks on their position near Fallujah, Iraq.

Deployments

US Policy

• POWELL / IRAQ VOA 30 Jul 2004 -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell paid a surprise visit to Baghdad Friday, telling leaders of the Iraqi interim government the United States will speed up billions of dollars of reconstruction spending in the country.

United Nations

• Powell Flags Issues for Study in Saudi Muslim-Force Initiative Washington File 30 Jul 2004 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell outlined some of the issues that would have to be addressed prior to implementation of the Saudi initiative to assemble an all-Muslim force to contribute to security operations in Iraq.
• POWELL / KUWAIT ONITER VOA 30 Jul 2004 -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is wrapping up a Middle East tour focused on the situation in Iraq with talks with officials in Kuwait. In Baghdad Friday, he pledged to speed up job-creating U.S. funded reconstruction projects in Iraq.
• Saudi Muslim Troop Idea 'Worth Pursuing,' Powell Says AFPS 30 Jul 2004 -- A recent suggestion by the Saudis to supplement coalition troops in Iraq with other Muslim forces "is an interesting idea worth pursuing," U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said today.
• Powell Wants to 'Speed Up' Iraq Reconstruction AFPS 30 Jul 2004 -- The United States wants "to speed up the flow of funds" into Iraq's reconstruction effort, the top U.S. diplomat said today.
• Bush Terminates National Emergency Regarding Iraq Declared in 1990 Washington File 30 Jul 2004 -- President Bush issued an executive order (EO) terminating the national emergency with respect to Iraq that was declared in August 1990.
• Powell Meets With Iraqi President Al Yawer in Baghdad Washington File 30 Jul 2004 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell made an unannounced visit to Baghdad July 30 and said the United States is determined and committed to work with Iraq's interim government as it establishes "democracy and the basis of freedom and human rights in Iraq."
• U.S. Welcomes NATO Decision to Train Iraqi Security Forces Washington File 30 Jul 2004 -- The United States has welcomed NATO's agreement to establish a Training Implementation Mission in Iraq. NATO's July 30 announcement regarding the new mission follows up on a commitment made by NATO leaders at the organization's June summit in Istanbul.

Reconstruction Issues

• Iraq: Officials Postpone National Conference RFE/RL 30 Jul 2004 -- Iraqi officials have postponed a national conference originally scheduled to begin on 31 July. The event, viewed as a crucial step in Iraq's transition to democracy, is now due to be held in mid-August. The official reason for the delay was to attract a greater number of participants -- but observers say the poor security situation could not be far from the organizers' minds.
• IRAQ/MUSLIM FORCE VOA 30 Jul 2004 -- Iraqis have mixed feelings about Saudi Arabia's proposal for a security force from Arab and Muslim countries to help stabilize Iraq. The plan is being discussed as Secretary of State Colin Powell meets with top Iraqi leaders on a surprise visit to Baghdad.

Foreign Reactions

• NATO Announces Proposal to Train Iraqi Security Forces Washington File 30 Jul 2004 -- NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced that the alliance has reached an agreement to coordinate training for Iraqi security forces.
• NATO / IRAQ UPDATE VOA 30 Jul 2004 -- NATO has agreed to begin training Iraqi security forces next month but has postponed until September a decision on whether the alliance's mission should come under the U.S.-led coalition. The deal, reached after three days of negotiations, overcame for the time being, a dispute between France and the United States about the relationship between the NATO unit and coalition forces.
• NATO / IRAQ VOA 30 Jul 2004 -- NATO's secretary general was making a last-ditch effort Friday to break a deadlock between France and the United States on how the alliance can fulfill its promise to train the new Iraqi government's security forces. The stumbling block is whether or not the training mission should be linked through the chain of command to the U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq.
• INDIA/HOSTAGES/FAMILIES VOA 30 Jul 2004 -- The families of three Indians being held hostage in Iraq are appealing to the Indian government to negotiate their release. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, tensions are rising in the hometowns of the captives, who were working for a Kuwaiti company.
• KENYA/IRAQ/HOSTAGES VOA 30 Jul 2004 -- Distraught family members of three Kenyan truck drivers being held captive in Iraq have made an urgent appeal for their safe release. The appeal comes just hours before a deadline (EDITORS: deadline is 1500 UTC) set by the kidnappers to behead an Indian hostage, who has been held with the Kenyans, an Egyptian and two other Indians since July 21st.

News Reports

• Iraq: Security Concerns Rule Daily Life In Baghdad RFE/RL 30 Jul 2004 -- When there is news of kidnappings in Iraq, it usually focuses on militants taking hostages and threatening to kill them unless foreign governments or businesses pull out of the country. But there are many other kinds of kidnappings as well, including the one that ordinary Iraqis fear most: the abduction of their family members for ransom.
• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 7, Number 28 30 Jul 2004 -- NATIONAL CONFERENCE DELAYED -- PARTIES CRITICIZE NOMINATION PROCESS / AL-ZEBARI CALLS FOR ARAB PARTICIPATION IN IRAQ / LONDON NEWSPAPER REPORTS ON REEMERGENCE OF MUKHABARAT / IRAQI PRIME MINISTER DESCRIBES MEETING WITH MILITANTS / EGYPTIAN DIPLOMAT FREED FROM CAPTIVITY, JORDANIANS KIDNAPPED / MILITANT GROUP THREATENS TO BEHEAD SOMALI HOSTAGE / HOSTAGE TAKERS EXTEND DEADLINE TO ALLOW FOR NEGOTIATIONS / PAKISTANI HOSTAGES REPORTEDLY KILLED IN IRAQ / U.S. THREATENS TO WITHDRAW ECONOMIC AID FROM AL-FALLUJAH / CAR BOMBINGS CONTINUE THIS WEEK IN IRAQ / IRAQI, U.S. FORCES KILL 15 MILITANTS / FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL SAYS DEFENSE MINISTER'S REMARKS HIS OWN / IRAQI ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF DISMISSED FROM POST / SUNNI CLERIC SAYS ISLAM FORBIDS KILLING OF SOME POLICEMEN / KURDISTAN REGIONAL GOVERNMENT APPOINTS FIVE NEW MINISTERS / LEBANESE FIRM BEGINS CONSTRUCTING 1,500 RESIDENTIAL UNITS IN CENTRAL IRAQ / FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS PATIENCE THINNING WITH ARAB SATELLITE BROADCASTERS / SAUDI CROWN PRINCE PUTS FORTH PLAN FOR ISLAMIC FORCE IN IRAQ / ALLAWI VISITS SYRIA, CONCLUDES A NUMBER OF AGREEMENTS / KUWAIT SENTENCES NATIONAL TO DEATH FOR COLLABORATING WITH HUSSEIN REGIME / IRAN SAID TO BE CONSIDERING OPENING CONSULAR OFFICES IN THREE IRAQI CITIES / IRANIAN GOVERNMENT TO INSURE INVESTMENTS IN IRAQ / UN ANNOUNCES $11 MILLION PROJECT TO RESTORE MARSHES / UN TO RETURN SOME STAFF TO IRAQ IN AUGUST / ABU HAFS AL-MASRI BRIGADES THREATEN EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS / ITALIAN SENATE EXTENDS IRAQ MISSION / U.S. ARMY INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORTS ON MISTREATMENT OF PRISONERS / PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS NO TROOPS TO IRAQ WITHOUT PARLIAMENTARY SUPPORT / RFE/RL'S RADIO FREE IRAQ INTERVIEWS SADDAM HUSSEIN'S FORMER PHYSICIAN