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Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 16 Dec 2004 [PDF]

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing 16 Dec 2004 -- General George W. Casey, Jr., Commander, Multi-National Force Iraq
• Defense Dept. Report, December 16: Iraq Reconstruction, Security Issues Washington File 16 Dec 2004 -- Rebuilding Iraq and protecting the forces that are attempting to promote peace are high U.S. priorities, according to several Pentagon officials who conducted three separate briefings December 15.
• Iraqi Communications Official Shot Dead RFE/RL 16 Dec 2004 -- A senior official in Iraq's Communications Ministry was shot dead as he was driving to work in Baghdad today.
• Bombs Create Illusion of Powerful Insurgency, Commander Says AFPS 16 Dec 2004 -- Car bombs and other attacks are creating an illusion that the insurgency his forces are fighting is powerful, the general in charge of coalition forces in Iraq said at a Pentagon news conference today.

Deployments

US Policy

• U.S. Military Envisions Reaching Its Goal in Iraq Within a Year Washington File 16 Dec 2004 -- The top U.S. military commander of ground forces in Iraq says the plan to help Iraq transition to a constitutionally elected government by the end of 2005 is on track.
• Commander in Iraq Says Campaign Plan 'Broadly on Track' AFPS 16 Dec 2004 -- Things in Iraq are generally headed in the right direction, the commander of coalition forces in Iraq said here today.
• All Trucks in Iraq Have Some Form of Armor, General Says AFPS 16 Dec 2004 -- All of the medium and heavy trucks soldiers drive in Iraq have some form of armor on them, said the logistics boss in the country during an interview Dec. 14.
• PENTAGON / IRAQ VOA 16 Dec 2004 -- The top U.S. military commander in Iraq, General George Casey, says coalition forces are on track to meet the twin goals of elections in late January and training enough Iraqi security forces to maintain order in the country by the end of next year. General Casey made his remarks to reporters at the Pentagon
• 'Have to Expect Problems' During Iraqi Elections, Rumsfeld Says AFPS 16 Dec 2004 -- Insurgents realize upcoming Iraqi elections represent a tremendous threat to their interests, the Defense Department's senior civilian told radio personality Sean Hannity Dec. 15.
• U.S.: Washington Warns Iran, Syria Not To Interfere In Iraq, But Can The Charges Be Substantiated? RFE/RL 16 Dec 2004 -- Recent days have seen a mounting drumbeat of charges from Baghdad and Washington that Iran and Syria are actively seeking to undermine the creation of a new post-Saddam Hussein order in Iraq. The charges have been dramatic, but also vague, leaving observers uncertain of the evidence behind them. The latest charge came yesterday, as U.S. President George W. Bush warned both Iran and Syria not to interfere in Iraq as the country prepares for its 30 January elections.

United Nations

• IRAQ: Interview with UNDP head IRIN 16 Dec 2004 -- Roger Guarda is the Officer-in-Charge for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq, but is based in Amman for security reasons. In an interview conducted with IRIN just before his retirement, Guarda assessed the role of the agency in the country and the difficulties faced in implementing its projects from a distance. He also spoke of the priorities for the coming year and focus areas. Having served UNDP since its creation in 1965, Guarda said he was proud of what had been achieved so far, given the current situation.

Reconstruction Issues

• UN chief and US Secretary of State discuss preparations for Iraq's elections UN News Centre 16 Dec 2004 -- With the registration of political entities in Iraq complete, Secretary-General Kofi Annan and United States Secretary of State Colin Powell met today in Washington for further talks on preparations for next month's elections and United Nations assistance in the process.
• Powell Says United Nations On Track With Iraqi Elections Washington File 16 Dec 2004 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says U.N. efforts to support Iraqi elections in January 2005 are on track, but Iraq has ultimate responsibility for the conduct of the elections.
• POWELL / ANNAN / IRAQ VOA 16 Dec 2004 -- Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan held talks Thursday centering on U.N. support for next month's Iraqi elections. Mr. Powell, in what was probably his last meeting with Mr. Annan before leaving office next month, said the U.N. effort seems to be on track.
• Hussein Meets Defense Lawyer For First Time RFE/RL 16 Dec 2004 -- Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein today met with a defense lawyer for the first time since his capture a year ago.
• 2004 And Beyond: Iraq Faces Year Of High-Stakes Elections RFE/RL 16 Dec 2004 -- This year saw the U.S. face major challenges in Iraq as multiple insurgent groups proved their ability to disrupt reconstruction efforts aimed at rebuilding the country. But Washington did make progress on the political front, including the establishment of Iraq's first sovereign post-Saddam Hussein administration. Now, as the country prepares for three rounds of elections in 2005, the test will be whether the new political process can create a government with enough popular support to finally neutralize the insurgents.
• ELITE IRAQI 'ERU' POLICE GRADUATE 101 FROM TRAINING CENTCOM 16 Dec 2004 -- One hundred and one Iraqi Police Service "Emergency Response Unit" officers graduated training, Dec. 16, in Baghdad.
• IRAQI POLICE SERVICE GRADUATES 74 FROM SPECIALTY TRAINING CENTCOM 16 Dec 2004 -- The Iraqi Police Service graduated 74 officers from two advanced instruction courses at the Adnan Training Facility, Dec. 16, as part of the Iraqi government's ongoing effort to train up its security forces.
• IRAQI POLICE GRADUATE MORE THAN 1,400 FROM BASIC TRAINING CENTCOM 16 Dec 2004 -- The Iraqi Police Service graduated 1,423 officers from the Basic Police Training Course at the Jordan International Police Training Center in Amman, Jordan, Dec. 16, as the Iraqi government continues the police force training effort in the country.
• 1st ID hosts public works conference in Iraq Army News 16 Dec 2004 -- Military members, U.S. civilians and Iraqi officials charged with improving public works in northeastern Iraq gathered Dec. 12 to discuss issues and offer solutions in the country's rebuilding process.
• Basrah International Airport to open in July MNF-I/MNC-I 16 Dec 2004 -- The airport that never was, at least, not officially. Rumors have it that, in the past 10 years, Basrah International Airport opened only when VIPs were visiting the country, and people worked at the airport only on those occasions. But, in July 2005, Basrah International Airport will officially open for commercial air and passenger traffic.
• IRAQ: Interview with Minister of Agriculture IRIN 16 Dec 2004 -- Iraq’s Minister of Agriculture, Sawsan Ali Magid al-Sharifi, faces her biggest challenge yet - how to get the country's food sector moving again after years of international sanctions, free imported food under the former United Nations Oil-for-Food programme and hundreds of displaced farmers now living in other areas of the country.
• IRAQ: New commission looking into endemic corruption IRIN 16 Dec 2004 -- When guards at the Ministry of Housing and Construction were hired, they all had to pay a fee of around US $200 to get their jobs. Those who didn’t pay had their applications thrown away, said an anonymous caller to the hotline for the recently established Commission for Public Integrity (CPI).

Foreign Reactions

News Reports

• IRAQ / RELIGIOUS WAR VOA 16 Dec 2004 -- A senior Iraqi interim government official has been assassinated as insurgents in the country appear to be stepping up efforts to derail national elections scheduled for January 30th. Government and religious leaders in Iraq say the insurgents are attempting to create an atmosphere of civil war -- pitting religious and ethnic groups against each other -- in an effort to stop the elections from being held.
• IRAQ: Red Cross monitoring hunger strikers ahead of trials IRIN 16 Dec 2004 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is closely monitoring former Baath Party hunger strikers, who have complained about the legality of their detentions and that of future trials, an ICRC spokesman told IRIN in Jordan.