Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 16 Aug 2005 [PDF]
• THREE TASK FORCE BAGHDAD SOLDIERS DIE IN VEHICLE ACCIDENT
• DoD Identifies Army Casualties
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• First Air Force Stryker unit deploys to Iraq AFPN 16 Aug 2005 -- The first Air Force Stryker unit marked its first deployment with the high-tech Army vehicle when it departed here Aug. 14 for Iraq.
• Evidence Found Powerful Bombs Being Made in Iraq VOA 16 Aug 2005 -- The U.S. military in Iraq has found evidence that new, more deadly roadside bombs, called shape charges, are not only being imported into the country from neighboring Iran, they are also being made locally
• Vehicle Accident in Iraq Claims Three Soldiers' Lives AFPS 16 Aug 2005 -- Three Task Force Baghdad soldiers died when the vehicle in which they were riding overturned into a sinkhole Aug. 15 during combat operations in southern Baghdad, military officials reported today.
• Airmen Focus on Their Work to Push Supplies 'Up North' AFPS 16 Aug 2005 -- It's always hot and often grueling work. But it all comes down to supporting the servicemembers based "up north," said airmen assigned with the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing here.
• Gunfire Wounds 25 Iraqi Workers; U.S. Investigating RFE/RL 16 Aug 2005 -- The U.S. military said it was investigating an incident in which at least 25 workers were reportedly wounded today by what appeared to be helicopter fire as some slept on the roof of a central Baghdad hotel.
• Weapons cache destroyed in Al Anbar MNF-I 16 Aug 2005 -- Multi-national ground forces, acting on an Iraqi tip, discovered and destroyed a large cache of artillery shells in the early hours of Aug. 16.
• Detainee dies at Abu Ghraib MNF-I 16 Aug 2005 -- A 20-year-old male security detainee died Aug. 15 of a suspected homicide at Abu Ghraib.

Deployments

US Policy

• Iraqi Constitution Drafters Agree on Major Issues, Khalilzad Says Washington File 16 Aug 2005 -- Members of the Iraqi constitutional committee have reached agreement on most of the key issues at stake in Iraq's new national compact, but need additional time to settle matters related to federalism and the control of the country's natural resources, according to U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad.
• Rumsfeld Confident Iraqi Constitution Vote to Proceed on Schedule AFPS 16 Aug 2005 -- Despite a seven-day deadline extension for drafting a new Iraqi constitution, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told reporters traveling here with him today that he's confident the slight delay won't push back the Oct. 15 deadline for a national vote on the constitution.
• U.S. Ambassador Details Negotiations for Iraqi Constitution AFPS 16 Aug 2005 -- Officials working to create a draft Iraqi constitution believed "until the very end" that the draft would be finished on time, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, who has been working closely with the Iraqis, said today.
• U.S. Expresses Support For Iraqi Politicians RFE/RL 16 Aug 2005 -- U.S. President George W. Bush issued a statement praising what he called "heroic efforts" by Iraqi politicians trying to forge a deal on a new constitution, despite their failure to meet a 15 August deadline for a draft charter

United Nations

• Top UN envoy in Iraq urges redoubled efforts to complete constitution by Monday UN News Centre 16 Aug 2005 -- The senior United Nations envoy in Iraq today called upon all parties and their leaders to redouble their efforts to meet the new deadline of 22 August for producing a draft permanent constitution after they missed the original 15 August target date.

Reconstruction Issues

• Iraq: National Assembly Amends Transitional Law, Extending Drafting Period RFE/RL 16 Aug 2005 -- Just before midnight on 15 August, Iraq's National Assembly voted unanimously to amend the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL), Iraq's interim constitution, to allow the committee charged with drafting a permanent constitution seven more days to draft the document.
• Iraq Rebuilding Projects Continue to Progress Washington File 16 Aug 2005 -- Despite reports of casualties, kidnappings and explosions continually permeating the news about Iraq, much necessary work is being accomplished in the country by Iraqis with U.S. and coalition forces.
• Iraq Reconstruction Hinges on Constitution, Reforms, IMF Says Washington File 16 Aug 2005 -- The pace of reconstruction in Iraq and the recovery of its economy will depend to a large degree on the adoption of a national constitution and the progress of economic reforms, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) official said.
• Iraq: Constitutional Committee Gets Another Week To Solve Disputes RFE/RL 16 Aug 2005 -- Iraq's National Assembly has voted to extend the deadline for drafting the country's first post-Saddam Hussein constitution until 22 August. The extra days are intended to give time to the drafting committee to resolve several problems that so far have proven intractable.

Foreign Reactions

• IRAQI CONSTITUTION: 'WORK IN PROGRESS' OR 'BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS'? US Dept. of State IIP, Foreign Media Reaction 16 Aug 2005

News Reports

• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 8, Number 27 16 August 2005 -- UNREST IN SAMAWAH DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR HANDOVER / OUSTED BAGHDAD MAYOR SPEAKS TO RADIO FREE IRAQ / UN CHIEF SEEKS MISSION EXTENSION, AMID CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AGAINST FORMER OIL-FOR-FOOD HEAD