Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

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

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 18 Jan 2007 [PDF]
• Sailor dies in non-combat related incident
• CENTAF releases airpower summary for Jan. 18 AFPN 18 Jan 2007 -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the airpower summary for Jan. 18.
• US Admits Raid on Sudanese Embassy in Baghdad VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- The U.S. military has admitted that American troops raided the embassy of Sudan in the Iraqi capital.
• Car Bombings in Baghdad Kill at Least 17 Iraqis VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- Iraqi officials say at least 17 people have been killed in a series of car bomb explosions in Baghdad as violence in the city continues to surge.
• MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashes AFPN 18 Jan 2007 -- A U.S. Central Command Air Forces MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed five miles southeast of Baghdad International Airport Jan. 17 at approximately 11:35 p.m. local Baghdad time

Deployments

US Policy

• Backgrounder: Bush's Plan to Secure Baghdad cfr.org 18 Jan 2007
• Debate on Consequences of US 'Failure' in Iraq Continues VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- One issue at the heart of the debate over President Bush's new Iraq strategy is whether it would be, as the president says, disastrous to remove U.S. troops before the new government is firmly established and the new security forces can maintain stability
• White House Says No Friction With Iraqi PM Maliki VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- The White House is dismissing reports of friction between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and U.S. President George Bush
• U.S. Restoring Iraqi Factories AFPS 18 Jan 2007 -- In an effort to bolster Iraq's economy and employ thousands of Iraqis, the United States is working to restart operations at several factories around the country.
• General Praises New Operational Freedom in Baghdad AFPS 18 Jan 2007 -- The most important component of President Bush's strategy to stabilize Iraq is an expanded freedom of operations in Baghdad, the chief operations officer for the Joint Staff said here yesterday.
• Senators Oppose U.S. Troop Buildup In Iraq RFE/RL 18 Jan 2007 -- Senators from the Democratic Party and from U.S. President George W. Bush's Republican Party have announced agreement on a draft resolution opposing Bush's plan to increase the U.S. deployment in Iraq by 21,500 troops.
• Albright Criticizes Bush's Plan for Iraq VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- As President Bush faces mounting pressure from Congress on his Iraq military plan, he also encountered sharp criticism from a former secretary of state, and words of caution from experts appearing before Congress

United Nations

• UN's Ban Resists US Call for More Help In Iraq VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is signaling a warming trend in the world body's relationship with the United States.

Reconstruction Issues

• IRAQ: Kurdistan, low in violence but lacking services IRIN 18 Jan 2007 -- Unlike other parts of the country, the three-province autonomous northern region of Kurdistan is not the Iraq of roadside bombs and beheadings.

Foreign Reactions

• Iraqi PM: Better-Equipped Iraqi Troops Could Mean Fewer Multi-National Forces VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says if Washington and Baghdad can do a better job of equipping Iraqi troops, there will be less need for multi-national soldiers in his country in a few months
• Iraqi President Says Syria Backs Iraqi Stability RFE/RL 18 Jan 2007 -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani today said Syria was taking action to prevent foreign fighters from crossing the border into Iraq.

News Reports

• US Pressures Egypt to Stop Iraqi Insurgent TV Broadcasts VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- For months, Iraqi and U.S. officials have been trying to shut down a satellite television station that shows Iraqi insurgent videos and denounces the Shi'ite-led government of Iraq
• Iraq: New U.S. Strategy Depends On Baghdad's Cooperation RFE/RL 18 Jan 2007 -- Many analysts and commentators have described U.S. President George W. Bush's new Iraq strategy, unveiled on January 10, as perhaps the last opportunity to stem the violence and prevent Iraq from descending into chaos.
• Bush Continues to Face Negative Polls on Iraq VOA 18 Jan 2007 -- New public opinion polls suggest President Bush still has an uphill climb in convincing the American public that he is on the right track in Iraq