Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 25 Aug 2004 [PDF]
• ONE TASK FORCE DANGER SOLDIER KILLED IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty

• IRAQ WRAP VOA 25 Aug 2004 -- Iraq's most influential Shi'ite Muslim cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has returned home and is calling for a nationwide march to end the three week standoff with radical Shi'ite militants holed up in the Imam Ali shrine in the holy city of Najaf. Iraqi militants have kidnapped a relative of the defense minister. Several people were killed in a U.S. airstrike in the western city of Fallujah.
• Najaf Standoff Continues As Militants Still Hold Shrine AFPS 25 Aug 2004 -- As the standoff in Najaf continues between Iraqi, U.S. and coalition troops and forces under the command of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, Iraq's top Shiite holy man apparently is ready to use his prestige to resolve the situation, according to news reports.
• U.S. Forces Launch Air Strikes in Al-Fallujah RFE/RL 25 Aug 2004 -- U.S. aircraft today launched air strikes against targets in Iraq's western city of Al-Fallujah.
• Guard squadron makes mark in Operation Iraqi Freedom AFPN 25 Aug 2004 -- The most recent deployment for the 107th Fighter Squadron was one of firsts, the unit's commander said here Aug. 24.

Deployments

• HMM-261 heads home to N.C. USMC News 25 Aug 2004 -- When the "Raging Bulls" arrived here in February, they were the first Marine medium helicopter squadron to arrive in the I Marine Expeditionary Force area of operations. Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 didn't know what to expect, but their actions set the example for many of the other squadrons arriving on deck.

US Policy

• AR 15-6 Investigation of the Abu Ghraib Prison and 205th Military Intelligence Brigade by LTG Anthony R. Jones and MG George R. Fay US Army 23 Aug 2004 [PDF 920 Kb]
• Transcript: Special Defense Department Briefing on Results of Investigation of Military Intelligence Activities at Abu Ghraib Prison Facility 25 Aug 2004 -- General Paul Kern, Appointing Authority for The Investigation; Lieutenant General Anthony Jones, Lead Investigator; Major General George Fay, Investigating Officer
• Transcript: Background Briefing on Investigations on Abu Ghraib 25 Aug 2004 -- Senior Army Official
• U-S / IRAQ / ABUSE VOA 25 Aug 2004 -- A U-S Army investigation has found that 27 members of a U.S. military intelligence unit at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad were directly involved in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.
• Report Faults Intelligence Soldiers at Abu Ghraib AFPS 25 Aug 2004 -- Military intelligence personnel did participate in abusing some prisoners in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, the three top officials in the Army's investigation said at a news conference here today.
• Army Report Faults Some Military Intelligence Personnel Washington File 25 Aug 2004 -- The U.S. Army general investigating military intelligence abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad in late 2003 says there were 44 instances of detainee abuse that could generate criminal charges.

• ABU GHRAIB ARTICLE 39A HEARINGS HELD IN MANNHEIM, GERMANY MNF-I/MNC-I 25 Aug 2004 -- In the courtroom at the Legal Center on Taylor Barracks in Mannheim, Germany, Article 39a hearings were held for four members named in the Abu Ghraib Prison abuse investigation.
• U.S./Iraq: Panel Finds No Evidence Pentagon Condoned Abuse At Abu Ghrayb RFE/RL 25 Aug 2004 -- An independent panel has found no evidence that top U.S. defense officials allowed or encouraged the abuse of inmates by U.S. guards at Iraq's Abu Ghrayb prison. The panel yesterday said blame rests primarily with military commanders at the scene. But the investigation, commissioned by the Pentagon, faults officials in Washington for failing to correct problems that contributed to the abusive atmosphere at the prison.

United Nations

Reconstruction Issues

• Iraq: Moderate Cleric Al-Sistani Returns To Iraq, Urges Shi'a March On Al-Najaf RFE/RL 25 Aug 2004 -- Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani -- Iraq's leading Shi'a cleric -- made a dramatic return to Iraq today in what his aides described as a last-minute bid to spare Al-Najaf and its Imam Ali shrine from a final assault by U.S.-led forces.

Foreign Reactions

News Reports

• Iraqi & Regional Media Monitoring UNAMI 25 Aug 2004
• IRAQ/SISTANI VOA 25 Aug 2004 -- Iraq's most senior Shia cleric has returned to the country after receiving medical treatment in London. He issued a call for his followers to march on the holy city of Najaf in a bid to end the fighting that has rocked the city for three weeks.