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Operations
Deployments
US Policy
United Nations
Reconstruction Issues
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 26 Jan 2005 [PDF]
• FOUR MARINES KILLED IN ACTION IN AL ANBAR PROVINCE
• ONE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION SOLDIER KILLED, TWO WOUNDED IN RPG ATTACK
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• Thirty Marines, 1 Sailor Die in Helicopter Crash
• Task Force Baghdad Soldier killed by IED

• US/IRAQ UPDATE VOA 26 Jan 2005 -- At least 36 U.S. troops died in Iraq Wednesday, making it the deadliest day since the invasion nearly two years ago. Thirty-one of the dead were aboard a U.S. Marine helicopter that crashed during the pre-dawn hours in western Iraq. The commander of coalition forces in that area says 30 of the dead were Marines, and one was a U.S. Navy sailor.
• Iraqis Prepare for First Free Election; Forces Increase Patrols Washington File 26 Jan 2005 -- Voting supplies have arrived In Iraq for the January 30 elections as Iraqi security forces and multinational troops step up patrols to make the balloting as safe as possible.
• IRAQ / GENERAL VOA 26 Jan 2005 -- The American commander of the multi-national forces in Iraq, General George Casey, says after Sunday's landmark elections in the country, the U.S. military will focus much of its efforts on training Iraqi security forces to take over security duties from U.S. troops.
• US/IRAQ VOA 26 Jan 2005 -- At least 36 U.S. troops died in Iraq Wednesday, making it the deadliest day since the invasion nearly two years ago. Thirty one of the dead are U.S. Marines, who died in a helicopter crash in western Iraq.
• 31 Marines Die in Helicopter Crash AFPS 26 Jan 2005 -- Thirty-one Marines died today when their helicopter crashed in western Iraq early today.
• US Marine Helicopter Crashes in Iraq VOA 26 Jan 2005 -- A U.S. military helicopter has crashed in a remote area of western Iraq, and the military confirms there are casualties.
• Two Car Bombs Explode In Kirkuk RFE/RL 26 Jan 2005 -- Two car bombs exploded in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk today, one near a police station and the other at a market place.
• U.S. Marine Helicopter Crashes In Western Iraq RFE/RL 26 Jan 2005 -- A U.S. Marine helicopter transporting troops to western Iraq crashed today in the western desert. The U.S. military said there were casualties but gave no figures.
• Locals Lead Marines to Insurgent, Weapons MNF-I/MNC-I 26 Jan 2005 -- Separate tips from two Iraqi men helped Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit capture a suspected insurgent and uncover a weapons stockpile south of Baghdad on Jan. 25.
• TF Danger Soldiers Discover Partial Remains Near Kirkuk MNF-I/MNC-I 26 Jan 2005 -- Task Force Danger Soldiers discovered the partial remains of an unidentified individual near Kirkuk about 9:15 p.m. on Jan. 25.
• Helicopter Crashes in Western Iraq MNF-I/MNC-I 26 Jan 2005 -- A U.S. Marine Corps transport helicopter crashed Jan. 26, at approximately 1:20 a.m. near Ar Rutbah while conducting security and stabilization operations.
• Six Explosive Devices Discovered by Task Force Baghdad Troops MNF-I/MNC-I 26 Jan 2005 -- Three Task Force Baghdad patrols uncovered six improvised explosive devices in the Iraqi capital Jan. 26, helping to secure the city's streets.
• Seizures and Detainments on the Rise, Adding to Election Security MNF-I/MNC-I 26 Jan 2005 -- Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), continued operations to ensure security for the elections, detaining seven individuals in northern Iraq on Jan. 26.
• Iraqi Patrols Discover Weapons in Fallujah MNF-I/MNC-I 26 Jan 2005 -- Iraqi soldiers from three battalions of the 7th Brigade working with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force near Fallujah completed stability operation patrols and found an improvised explosive device and mortar rounds on Jan. 25.
• 19 suspects Detained Outside of Eastern Baghdad Mosque MNF-I/MNC-I 26 Jan 2005 -- A joint operation conducted by Task Force Baghdad Soldiers and Iraqi Army troops last night near the Al Rasoul Mosque in eastern Baghdad netted 19 suspected insurgents and various weapons.
• Four Troops Wounded by VBIED MNF-I/MNC-I 26 Jan 2005 -- A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated on the eastbound lane of the airport access road, wounding four Multi-National Force Soldiers at approximately 10:25 on Jan. 26.
• Second car Bomb on Airport Road Wounds Three Soldiers MNF-I/MNC-I 26 Jan 2005 -- A second vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated Jan. 26 on the road leading to the Baghdad International Airport, damaging one Task Force Baghdad vehicle and wounding three Soldiers.
• Commandos Break up Attempted Kidnapping Washington File 26 Jan 2005 -- Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd "Commando" Brigade Combat Team prevented an apparent kidnapping of eight Iraqis Jan. 26 in western Baghdad.
• VMAQ-4 performs unique mission from Al Asad USMC News 26 Jan 2005 -- Joining forces with brethren Marine units and aircraft in Iraq, the first EA-6B Prowlers with Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 began arriving here Jan. 20.

Deployments

• Bonhomme Richard Arrives On Station in Persian Gulf Navy NewsStand 26 Jan 2005 -- After delivering more than 1 million pounds of humanitarian relief supplies ashore during Operation Unified Assistance, the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) (BHR) arrived on station Jan. 26 in the Persian Gulf.

US Policy

• Transcript: President Holds Press Conference The White House 26 Jan 2005

• Iraqis Should Use "Historic Opportunity" to Vote, Bush Says Washington File 26 Jan 2005 -- President Bush said the January 30 elections for Iraq's national assembly are a "historic opportunity" for the Iraqi people, and he urged them to vote to "show the terrorists they cannot stop the march of freedom."
• IRAQ ELECTION / AFTERMATH VOA 26 Jan 2005 -- Senior U.S. officials say violence will continue in Iraq after Sunday's election, and that there will be a period of political uncertainty as the results are certified and the new interim government takes shape.
• Transcript: Secretary Rumsfeld Media Availability Following Senate Briefing 25 Jan 2005 -- Chairman, Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator John Warner (R-Va), Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Commander, U.S. Central Command, General John Abizaid
• Transcript: Press Stakeout Following Briefing of House Armed Services Committee on Iraq And Afghanistan 26 Jan 2005 -- Secretary Of Defense Donald Rumsfeld; and General John Abizaid, Commander, U.S. Central Command
• Condolences Offered to Families of 31 Crash Victims AFPS 26 Jan 2005 -- The tragic helicopter crash in western Iraq today claimed the lives of 30 Marines and one sailor, confirmed Marine Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, in a statement from Iraq.
• Casey: Elections Will Be Triumph of Democracy Over Tyranny AFPS 26 Jan 2005 -- With the Jan. 30 election the world will "see the continued triumph of democracy over tyranny," the commander of multinational forces in Iraq said.
• Casey Speaks of Improvements in Iraqi Forces AFPS 26 Jan 2005 -- Army Gen. George Casey reminded reporters at a press roundtable today just how far Iraqi security forces have come in a relatively short time.
• BUSH / IRAQ VOA 26 Jan 2005 -- President Bush is urging Iraqis to defy threats from insurgents and vote in Sunday's national election. Mr. Bush says it will be a grand moment for those who believe in freedom.

United Nations

• Press Briefing ON ELECTORAL ASSISTANCE ON IRAQ United Nations 26 Jan 2005
• Arrangements In Place for Iraqi Vote, United Nations Says Washington File 26 Jan 2005 -- Preparations are on target and elections will take place in Iraq as scheduled January 30 despite security concerns; "that is a fact," said U.N. Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast.
• UN/IRAQ ELECTION VOA 26 Jan 2005 -- United Nations elections officers say all arrangements are in place for Iraq's national assembly elections. Officials are cautiously optimistic that Iraqi voters will brave the danger and cast their ballots.
• Sunday's election in Iraq not a 'be-all and end-all' but merely a staging post - UN UN News Centre 26 Jan 2005 -- With conditions far from ideal and security a major problem, Iraq's elections on Sunday should not be seen as "a be-all and end-all," but only one in a series of important staging posts "along an evolving transition" as the country emerges from an extremely traumatic chapter in its history, senior United Nations officials aid today.

Reconstruction Issues

• Iraq Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Updates USAID 26 Jan 2005 [PDF]
• IRAQ / ELECTION SECURITY VOA 26 Jan 2005 -- During the run-up to Iraq's landmark election, the Shia-dominated south has largely been spared from the extreme levels of violence seen in central Iraq's so-called Sunni triangle and the ethnically divided city of Mosul. But Iraqi security forces fear the calm in southern Iraq could be short-lived, and the danger could come from several different directions.
• IRAQI EXPATS / ELECTIONS VOA 26 Jan 2005 -- The Geneva-based International Organization for Migration says less than a quarter of the one-point-two million Iraqis living abroad have registered for Sunday's general election. But IOM says this is good news.
• Iraq: Kurdish Voters Want To Preserve Self-Rule RFE/RL 26 Jan 2005 -- As Iraq's 30 January elections for a new National Assembly approach, Kurdish voters are expected to turn out in large numbers to support their own united list of candidates. The Kurdish list is campaigning to preserve the Iraqi Kurds' already considerable degree of autonomy, which many credit with keeping their area quiet, despite conflicts elsewhere in the country.
• Iraqi Political Parties Set Forth Economic Proposals Washington File 26 Jan 2005 -- With more than 38 percent of potential Iraqi voters citing high unemployment as one of the top three issues that the new government needs to confront, Iraqi political parties know that they must address economic issues in order to win votes.
• SYRIA: More than a quarter of a million Iraqis register for OCV IRIN 26 Jan 2005 -- A total of 280,303 Iraqis, living in 14 countries abroad, have registered to vote in the elections in Iraq later this month through the Out-of-Country Voting (OCV) programme arranged by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Foreign Reactions

News Reports

• Iraqi Media Monitoring UNAMI 26 Jan 2005
• Observing Iraq AFPS 26 Jan 2005 -- Insurgents? No, Murderers / Mad Max Arrives / Breeding Success