Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 14 Oct 2005 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualties
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• THREE U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT

• Transcript: Defense Department Update on Security Operations in Iraq 14 Oct 2005 -- Presenter: Col. David J. Bishop, commander, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division and Maj. Gen. Bashar M. Ayoub, commander, 9th Mechanized Division, Iraqi Army
• Coalition Forces Foil Terrorist Attack on Polling Station AFPS 14 Oct 2005 -- A Task Force Baghdad unit patrolling in southern Baghdad immediately responded to a terrorist mortar attack on a polling site Oct. 13 by returning fire to drive the terrorists away, military officials reported today.
• Iraqi, American Troops Work Together to Ensure Safe Election AFPS 14 Oct 2005 -- American and Iraqi troops in Taji, Iraq, are working together to ensure a safe environment for Iraqis to vote in the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum.
• Officials Note River Gate Successes as Iraqi Election Nears AFPS 14 Oct 2005 -- With Iraq's constitutional referendum set to take place Oct. 15, military officials noted the successes of Operation River Gate in setting conditions for secure voting in the country's Anbar province.
• Iraq: U.S., Iraqi Forces Tighten Security For Referendum RFE/RL 14 Oct 2005 -- U.S. and Iraqi forces are tightening security in Iraq for the 15 October referendum on the draft constitution.
• Baghdad Suffers Power Blackout on Election Eve VOA 14 Oct 2005 -- Insurgents have knocked out electrical power to much of Baghdad on the eve of Iraq's nationwide constitutional referendum.
• US and Iraqi Forces Prepare to Secure Referendum VOA 14 Oct 2005 -- U.S. and Iraqi military officers in the sector north of Baghdad expressed confidence on Friday that their forces are ready to secure Saturday's voting on the new Iraqi constitution.
• Blackouts In Baghdad Ahead Of Vote RFE/RL 14 Oct 2005 -- Electricity went out for hours across Baghdad this evening, plunging the Iraqi capital into darkness on the eve of the country's referendum on a new constitution.
• Task Force Baghdad Soldiers catch bombers in the act MNF-I 14 Oct 2005 -- While conducting a combat patrol in north Baghdad, Task Force Baghdad Soldiers caught two roadside bombers in the act of placing an improvised explosive device Oct. 10.
• Iraqi tip leads U.S. Soldiers to terrorist mortar site MNF-I 14 Oct 2005 -- Task Force Baghdad Soldiers, acting on a tip from an Iraqi citizen, found a mortar tube and mortar rounds in north Baghdad Oct. 12.
• U.S. Soldiers find, disable car bomb thanks to Iraqi tip MNF-I 14 Oct 2005 -- Task Force Baghdad Soldiers found and disabled a car bomb in western Rashid thanks to a tip from a group of Iraqi citizens Oct. 12.
• Insurgent attack kills and wounds detainees MNF-I 14 Oct 2005 -- Insurgents attacked a convoy carrying detainees outside ar Ramadi the night of Oct. 11, killing three detainees and wounding seven.
• Insurgent attack kills and wounds detainees MNF-I 14 Oct 2005 -- Insurgents attacked a convoy carrying detainees outside ar Ramadi the night of Oct. 11, killing three detainees and wounding seven.
• U.S. Forces Take on Tasks to Free Iraqi Soldiers to Secure Polls Washington File 14 Oct 2005 -- On the eve of the Iraqi constitutional referendum, U.S. and Iraqi forces report a successful partnership in their efforts to create conditions conducive to voting.

Deployments

US Policy

• Military Success Dependent on Political Process, Officer Says AFPS 14 Oct 2005 -- If the political system in Iraq holds together, the military development will be successful, a senior U.S. military officer said Oct. 13.
• Iraq: U.S. Officials Laud Iraqi Referendum RFE/RL 14 Oct 2005 -- U.S. officials are portraying the 15 October constitutional referendum in Iraq as a milestone in the country's political progress.

United Nations

• As Iraqi constitutional referendum goes down to wire, UN envoy meets officials UN News Centre 14 Oct 2005 -- With just hours to go before Iraqis vote in their historic constitutional referendum, the top United Nations envoy, who has been deeply involved in the political transition in the war-torn country, held a final series of meetings with senior officials.

Reconstruction Issues

• Iraq Makes Last-Minute Preparations for Constitutional Vote Washington File 14 Oct 2005 -- As Iraq makes final preparations for the October 15 constitutional referendum, there are more than 1 million new registered voters since the January elections.
• Iraq: Parliamentarian Predicts Al-Sadr Supporters Will Align With Sunnis After Election RFE/RL 14 Oct 2005 -- Qusay Abd al-Wahhab Abbud al-Suhail -- a member of the Iraqi National Assembly and a supporter of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr -- predicted in a 14 October interview that al-Sadr supporters in parliament will align with the Sunni group National Dialogue Council following the December election
• Iraq: The Constitution Agreement And The Sunni Opposition RFE/RL 14 Oct 2005 -- This week's agreement between the Sunni-led Iraqi Islamic Party and the Shi'ite and Kurdish leadership in Iraq has done little to sway other Sunni Arab groups to support the draft constitution in the 15 October referendum.
• Al-Sadr Supporters Demonstrate Against Constitution RFE/RL 14 Oct 2005 -- Thousands of al-Sadr supporters were demonstrating in Al-Hillah, demanding the death penalty for Saddam Hussein, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reported on 14 October.
• Independent Election Commission Spokesman Speaks To RFI RFE/RL 14 Oct 2005 -- Farid Ayar, a member of the Board of Commissioners at the Iraqi Independent Electoral Commission, told RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) on 7 October that the commission is prepared to carry out the 15 October referendum on the constitution, Baghdad correspondent Laith Ahmed reported.
• RFI Speaks With Constitution Drafting Committee Head RFE/RL 14 Oct 2005 -- Iraq's Constitution Drafting Committee Chairman Humam Hammudi discussed the 15 October referendum on the constitution in an exclusive interview with RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq on 6 October.

Foreign Reactions

News Reports

• Iraq Locks Down Ahead of Constitution Referendum Vote VOA 14 Oct 2005 -- Strict security measures are in place in Iraq, as the country prepares to hold a referendum on a controversial draft constitution Saturday.
• Iraq Mostly Quiet Ahead of Constitutional Referendum VOA 14 Oct 2005 -- Streets in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, are mostly quiet Friday, as security measures take effect on the eve of a nationwide constitutional referendum.

• Saddam Hussein's Lawyers May Challenge Tribunal RFE/RL 14 Oct 2005 -- A lawyer for Saddam Hussein says the ousted leader's defense team may challenge the legitimacy of the tribunal set to try him in Iraq.

• RFE/RL Iraq Report, Volume 8, Number 34 14 October 2005 -- IRAQ'S CONSTITUTION AGREEMENT AND THE SUNNI OPPOSITION / IRAQI PARLIAMENTARIAN PREDICTS THAT AL-SADR SUPPORTERS WILL ALIGN WITH SUNNIS AFTER ELECTION / AL-SADR SUPPORTERS DEMONSTRATE IN AL-HILLAH AGAINST CONSTITUTION / THE CORRUPTION QUANDARY