Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 20 Dec 2005 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Marine Corps Casualty

• Terrorist bomb detonates on bombers MNF-I 20 Dec 2005 -- One terrorist was killed and another severely injured when the improvised explosive device they were attempting to emplace detonated prematurely
• CENTAF releases airpower summary AFPN 20 Dec 2005 -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary.
• Iraqi Army Division Takes Step Toward Full Combat Readiness AFPS 20 Dec 2005 -- The staff of the 8th Iraqi Army Division was certified today in counterterrorism operations and tactics, which means the Iraqis can plan and conduct operations against enemy forces with limited support of coalition forces, military officials reported today.
• Soldiers testing cooling vests in Iraq Army News 20 Dec 2005 -- About 500 liquid-filled cooling vests are now being tested by Humvee crews in Iraq and Kuwait.

Deployments

• Ukraine Starts Final Withdrawal Of Troops From Iraq RFE/RL 20 Dec 2005 -- Ukraine began the final withdrawal of its troops from Iraq today.

US Policy

• Top Bush Adviser: Failure Not an Option in Iraq VOA 20 Dec 2005 -- President Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, is warning that failure is not an option in Iraq because, he says, this would turn the country into a sanctuary for terrorists like Afghanistan was under the Taleban regime.
• U.S. Envoy to Iraq Cites Political, Economic, Security Progress Washington File 20 Dec 2005 -- U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad reviewed progress achieved on the seven goals he laid out upon assuming his post during a year-end press conference December 20 in Baghdad, and spoke about the necessary conditions for continued progress.
• U.S. Security Adviser Nixes Talk on Early Troop Pullout AFPS 20 Dec 2005 -- President Bush's national security adviser today dismissed critics who demand an immediate or early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
• Rumsfeld: War Can Be Lost Only in U.S. AFPS 20 Dec 2005 -- American servicemembers are doing a superb job in Iraq, and the only place the war can be lost is in the United States, where people don't have a clear understanding of what's happening on the ground and can lose patience, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld said Dec. 19.
• Envoy Would Like a 'Cross-ethnic' Iraq Government AFPS 20 Dec 2005 -- The U.S. ambassador to Iraq envisions "an Iraq that works" - a country on a path to increase democracy, and one that will respect the rights of all in the country.
• Ambassador Says 2006 to Be 'Year of Police' for Iraq AFPS 20 Dec 2005 -- 2006 will be the 'Year of the Police' in Iraq, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said here today.

United Nations

Reconstruction Issues

• Iraq: Sunni Parties Fume At Partial Election Results RFE/RL 20 Dec 2005 -- Partial results from Iraq's parliamentary election indicate that the Shi'ite-led United Iraqi Alliance will remain the dominant grouping in Iraq's next parliament.
• Preliminary Results Released in Iraqi Election VOA 20 Dec 2005 -- The Iraqi Electoral Commission on Tuesday released more preliminary voting results from the country's December 15 election for a new National Assembly.
• Iraqi Army Division certified MNF-I 20 Dec 2005 -- The staff of the 8th Iraqi Army Division accomplished a certification process Dec. 20.
• Iraqi Sunnis Say Baghdad Vote Fraudulent RFE/RL 20 Dec 2005 -- Iraq's leading Sunni Arab coalition has criticized partial election results in Baghdad and called for a new ballot.
• Iraqi Election Official Rejects Sunni Call For Repeat Vote RFE/RL 20 Dec 2005 -- The head of Iraq's electoral commission today rejected a call from the leading Sunni Arab coalition to repeat the 15 December parliamentary elections in Baghdad due to perceived flaws.
• Iraq: Coalitions, Parties Jockeying For Position In New Political Landscape RFE/RL 20 Dec 2005 -- Iraq's Independent Election Commission says the Shi'ite-led United Iraqi Alliance has emerged as the leading grouping as vote counting continues from last week's parliamentary elections.

Foreign Reactions

News Reports