A Soldiers News Blog
Saturday, December 13, 2003
Iraq War News
Halliburton Denies Iraq Overcharges: "Amid controversy surrounding its WhiteHouse links, Halliburton Co. on Friday denied it overbilled thegovernment for military contracts in Iraq and said it took amajor step toward settling costly asbestos litigation. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq Blast: "A U.S. soldier was fatally wounded andtwo others were hurt in a blast near the flashpoint Iraqi townof Ramadi, west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Friday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
The Joe Dimaggio of comics: "Doonesbury has been nailing the hypocrisy of the Great Baghdad Turkey Shoot of '03all week. From Thursday's strip:
President Bush (as floating centurion helmet): Better to be fighting 'em here than in your hometown, eh, son?
Young Soldier: My hometown, sir? You think Baathist guerrillas would come to Yankton, South Dakota?
Unseen Officer: Soldier! Your CINC is asking you a rhetorical question!
Young Soldier: "Oh ... Sir! Yes, sir! Better here than Yankton!""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Glance at $2.2B Halliburton Iraq Contract: "Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, has been awarded more than $2.2 billion for rebuilding Iraq's oilfields. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Halliburton Denies Iraq Overcharges: "Amid controversy surrounding its WhiteHouse links, Halliburton Co. on Friday denied it overbilled thegovernment for military contracts in Iraq and said it took amajor step toward settling costly asbestos litigation. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
4TH ID SOLDIERS CAPTURE FEDAYEEN AND CONFISCATE LARGE WEAPONS CACHE in CENTCOM: News Release
4TH ID REPORTS ACTIVITIES in CENTCOM: News Release
Bomb wounds 2 Polish troops in south Iraq: "A bomb made from a land mine exploded on the outskirts of the southern city of Mahaweel as a 19-man Polish convoy drove by Friday, wounding two soldiers."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. officer fined for harsh interrogation tactics in CNN - War in Iraq
Bush warns Israel over Palestinian state: "President Bush warned Israel anew on Friday not to take actions that would make it harder to create a Palestinian state."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. draws on Israeli methods for Iraq: "In fighting insurgents in Iraq, the United States is drawing on some of Israel's methods and experiences in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including running checkpoints and tracking militants with drone aircraft, Israeli officials say."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Draws on Israeli Methods for Iraq: "In fighting insurgents in Iraq, the United States is drawing on some of Israel's methods and experiences in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including running checkpoints and tracking militants with drone aircraft, Israeli officials say. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush Expects Iraq Overcharges to Be Repaid: "President Bush said on Friday heexpected $61 million to be repaid to the U.S. government if aPentagon probe determines a Halliburton subsidiary overchargedfor fuel deliveries to Iraq. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
White House: No Conflict for Baker in Iraq Role: "The White House on Friday rejected aNew York Times editorial call for the U.S. special envoy onIraq debt, James Baker, to sever his private business tiesbecause of alleged conflicts of interest in his new role. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Halliburton Denies Iraq Overcharges: "Amid controversy surrounding its WhiteHouse links, Halliburton Co. on Friday denied it overbilled thegovernment for military contracts in Iraq and said it took amajor step toward settling costly asbestos litigation. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq Blast: "A U.S. soldier was fatally wounded andtwo others were hurt in a blast near the flashpoint Iraqi townof Ramadi, west of Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Friday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
The Joe Dimaggio of comics: "Doonesbury has been nailing the hypocrisy of the Great Baghdad Turkey Shoot of '03all week. From Thursday's strip:
President Bush (as floating centurion helmet): Better to be fighting 'em here than in your hometown, eh, son?
Young Soldier: My hometown, sir? You think Baathist guerrillas would come to Yankton, South Dakota?
Unseen Officer: Soldier! Your CINC is asking you a rhetorical question!
Young Soldier: "Oh ... Sir! Yes, sir! Better here than Yankton!""
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Glance at $2.2B Halliburton Iraq Contract: "Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, has been awarded more than $2.2 billion for rebuilding Iraq's oilfields. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Halliburton Denies Iraq Overcharges: "Amid controversy surrounding its WhiteHouse links, Halliburton Co. on Friday denied it overbilled thegovernment for military contracts in Iraq and said it took amajor step toward settling costly asbestos litigation. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
4TH ID SOLDIERS CAPTURE FEDAYEEN AND CONFISCATE LARGE WEAPONS CACHE in CENTCOM: News Release
4TH ID REPORTS ACTIVITIES in CENTCOM: News Release
Bomb wounds 2 Polish troops in south Iraq: "A bomb made from a land mine exploded on the outskirts of the southern city of Mahaweel as a 19-man Polish convoy drove by Friday, wounding two soldiers."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. officer fined for harsh interrogation tactics in CNN - War in Iraq
Bush warns Israel over Palestinian state: "President Bush warned Israel anew on Friday not to take actions that would make it harder to create a Palestinian state."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. draws on Israeli methods for Iraq: "In fighting insurgents in Iraq, the United States is drawing on some of Israel's methods and experiences in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including running checkpoints and tracking militants with drone aircraft, Israeli officials say."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Draws on Israeli Methods for Iraq: "In fighting insurgents in Iraq, the United States is drawing on some of Israel's methods and experiences in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including running checkpoints and tracking militants with drone aircraft, Israeli officials say. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush Expects Iraq Overcharges to Be Repaid: "President Bush said on Friday heexpected $61 million to be repaid to the U.S. government if aPentagon probe determines a Halliburton subsidiary overchargedfor fuel deliveries to Iraq. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
White House: No Conflict for Baker in Iraq Role: "The White House on Friday rejected aNew York Times editorial call for the U.S. special envoy onIraq debt, James Baker, to sever his private business tiesbecause of alleged conflicts of interest in his new role. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Iraq Updates
Iraq Tribunal Eyes Saddam Trial; 2 U.S. Soldiers Killed: "A special Iraqi court will try SaddamHussein in absentia for crimes against humanity, if thefugitive dictator is not caught or killed, and bring keymembers of his regime before the tribunal, officials said onWednesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Annan Names U.N. Interim Envoy to Iraq: "Iraq is still too dangerous to reopen the U.N. office in Baghdad, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday after appointing a replacement for the top envoy to Iraq, who was killed in an August suicide bombing along with 21 other people. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. faces backlash over contracts in CNN - War in Iraq
CIA Plans Iraqi Domestic Spy Service, Newspaper Reports: "The United States plans to set up anIraqi intelligence service to spy on groups and individualsinside Iraq that are targeting U.S. troops and civilians, TheWashington Post reported on Thursday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Arafat dismisses Israeli settlement idea: "Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Wednesday dismissed as meaningless the Israeli premier's hints of evacuating some Jewish settlements, while a meeting of Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers raised hopes for renewed peace talks."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Annan Rules Out UN Return to Iraq in Near Future: "U.N. Secretary-General KofiAnnan said on Wednesday that Iraq was still too dangerous forU.N. foreign staff to return but indicated he was willing toplay a bigger role once the U.S.-led occupation ended. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israeli troops, Palestinians clash in Gaza: "Israeli troops battled Palestinians in a Gaza refugee camp on the Egyptian border early Thursday. Residents said two Palestinians were wounded."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US defends Iraq contracts ban: "The White House says its policy on Iraq tenders aims to encourage more countries to join the coalition."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Protesters in Syria call for freedoms: "In a highly unusual protest, more than 150 Syrian pro-democracy activists staged a sit-in Wednesday outside the prime minister's office in downtown Damascus, calling for more freedoms, the release of political prisoners and the abolition of the country's emergency law."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. faces backlash over contracts in CNN - War in Iraq
US president calls French, German, Russian leaders by phone: "US President George W. Bush called French President Jacques Chirac, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to talk about Iraqi debt, White House officials said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Who saw that coming?: " The US, again showing the selectiveness of its free-trade obsession, just officially banned French, Russian, and German companies from getting reconstruction contracts in Iraq. The New York Times' source for this appears to be this document (PDF) from rebuilding-iraq.net,..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
Lebanon: Bomb plot on U.S. embassy foiled: "Lebanese authorities said they halted a bomb attack against the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday, arresting two men outside the compound, one of whom was carrying more than two pounds of explosives."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Annan says Iraq still too dangerous for UN: "UN Secretary General Kofi Annan ruled out quickly resuming a major UN role in postwar Iraq, saying the country remains too dangerous to put his staff at risk. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush Welcomes New Iraqi Envoy to U.S.: "President Bush welcomed Rend Rahim Francke to the White House on Wednesday, praising the woman who comes the closest to being Iraq's first ambassador to the United States since a diplomatic break 13 years ago. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S.-Europe Split on Iraq Takes New Turn: "The Bush administration has reopened an emotional rift with Europe - just as its damaged relations with Germany, France and Russia seemed on the mend. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
"A Great Day for Iraq": "Blogger Zeyad of Healing Iraq:
Read the rest. Zeyad also has plenty of pictures."
In Command Post: Irak
Israel, Palestinians have new aid effort: "The Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers announced a new effort Wednesday to improve the distribution of international aid in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as donors expressed impatience over the stalled Mideast peace process."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Troops Kill Saddam Fedayeen Officer: "U.S. troops shot and killed a senior officer of the paramilitary group Saddam Fedayeen after storming his house in this northern city on Wednesday, his neighbors said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq Bids Ban Reopens Diplomatic Rift: "Across Europe, response was swift and angry Wednesday to the U.S. order barring firms based in important allied countries - opponents of the Iraq war - from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction projects. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Calls Iraq Contract Restrictions Appropriate: "The United States said on Wednesdayits decision to bar Iraq war opponents like France, Germany andRussia from $18.6 billion in U.S. reconstruction projects wasappropriate and an inducement for countries to commit troopsand provide other support. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Pentagon: Many of New Iraq Soldiers Quit: "Plans to deploy the first battalion of Iraq's new army are in doubt because a third of the soldiers trained by the U.S.-led occupation authority have quit, defense officials said Wednesday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
On Killing Children: An Open Letter to US Military Spokesman Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty (10 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Iran's Nobel Winner Hits Out at U.S. Foreign Policy (10 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Pentagon: Barring bidders not punitive: "The U.S. government's decision to bar firms based in countries that oppose the Iraq war from bidding on contracts for Iraqi reconstruction projects was not meant to punish them, a Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq bids ban reopens diplomatic rift: "Across Europe, response was swift and angry Wednesday to the U.S. order barring firms based in important allied countries - opponents of the Iraq war - from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction projects."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Troops Kill Saddam Fedayeen Officer: "U.S. troops shot and killed a senior officer of the paramilitary group Saddam Fedayeen after storming his house in this northern city on Wednesday, his neighbors said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq Bids Ban Reopens Diplomatic Rift: "Across Europe, response was swift and angry Wednesday to the U.S. order barring firms based in important allied countries - opponents of the Iraq war - from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction projects. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Annan Rules Out U.N. Return to Iraq in Near Future: "U.N. Secretary-General KofiAnnan on Wednesday said Iraq was still too dangerous for U.N.international staff to return but indicated he was willing toplay a bigger role once the U.S.-led occupation ended. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
TASK FORCE ?ALL AMERICAN? CAPTURES SPANISH ATTACKERS in CENTCOM: News Release
4TH ID CAPTURES CRIMINALS, CONFISCATES WEAPONS in CENTCOM: News Release
U.S. raids net dozens of Iraqi insurgents in CNN - War in Iraq
Iraq Tribunal Eyes Saddam Trial; 2 U.S. Soldiers Killed: "A special Iraqi court will try SaddamHussein in absentia for crimes against humanity, if thefugitive dictator is not caught or killed, and bring keymembers of his regime before the tribunal, officials said onWednesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Annan Names U.N. Interim Envoy to Iraq: "Iraq is still too dangerous to reopen the U.N. office in Baghdad, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday after appointing a replacement for the top envoy to Iraq, who was killed in an August suicide bombing along with 21 other people. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. faces backlash over contracts in CNN - War in Iraq
CIA Plans Iraqi Domestic Spy Service, Newspaper Reports: "The United States plans to set up anIraqi intelligence service to spy on groups and individualsinside Iraq that are targeting U.S. troops and civilians, TheWashington Post reported on Thursday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Arafat dismisses Israeli settlement idea: "Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Wednesday dismissed as meaningless the Israeli premier's hints of evacuating some Jewish settlements, while a meeting of Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers raised hopes for renewed peace talks."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Annan Rules Out UN Return to Iraq in Near Future: "U.N. Secretary-General KofiAnnan said on Wednesday that Iraq was still too dangerous forU.N. foreign staff to return but indicated he was willing toplay a bigger role once the U.S.-led occupation ended. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israeli troops, Palestinians clash in Gaza: "Israeli troops battled Palestinians in a Gaza refugee camp on the Egyptian border early Thursday. Residents said two Palestinians were wounded."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US defends Iraq contracts ban: "The White House says its policy on Iraq tenders aims to encourage more countries to join the coalition."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Protesters in Syria call for freedoms: "In a highly unusual protest, more than 150 Syrian pro-democracy activists staged a sit-in Wednesday outside the prime minister's office in downtown Damascus, calling for more freedoms, the release of political prisoners and the abolition of the country's emergency law."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. faces backlash over contracts in CNN - War in Iraq
US president calls French, German, Russian leaders by phone: "US President George W. Bush called French President Jacques Chirac, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to talk about Iraqi debt, White House officials said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Who saw that coming?: " The US, again showing the selectiveness of its free-trade obsession, just officially banned French, Russian, and German companies from getting reconstruction contracts in Iraq. The New York Times' source for this appears to be this document (PDF) from rebuilding-iraq.net,..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
Lebanon: Bomb plot on U.S. embassy foiled: "Lebanese authorities said they halted a bomb attack against the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday, arresting two men outside the compound, one of whom was carrying more than two pounds of explosives."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Annan says Iraq still too dangerous for UN: "UN Secretary General Kofi Annan ruled out quickly resuming a major UN role in postwar Iraq, saying the country remains too dangerous to put his staff at risk. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush Welcomes New Iraqi Envoy to U.S.: "President Bush welcomed Rend Rahim Francke to the White House on Wednesday, praising the woman who comes the closest to being Iraq's first ambassador to the United States since a diplomatic break 13 years ago. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S.-Europe Split on Iraq Takes New Turn: "The Bush administration has reopened an emotional rift with Europe - just as its damaged relations with Germany, France and Russia seemed on the mend. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
"A Great Day for Iraq": "Blogger Zeyad of Healing Iraq:
The rallies today proved to be a major success. I didn't expect anything even close to this. It was probably the largest demonstration in Baghdad for months. It wasn't just against terrorism. It was against Arab media, against the interference of neighbouring countries, against dictatorships, against Wahhabism, against oppression, and of course against the Ba'ath and Saddam.
Read the rest. Zeyad also has plenty of pictures."
In Command Post: Irak
Israel, Palestinians have new aid effort: "The Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers announced a new effort Wednesday to improve the distribution of international aid in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as donors expressed impatience over the stalled Mideast peace process."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Troops Kill Saddam Fedayeen Officer: "U.S. troops shot and killed a senior officer of the paramilitary group Saddam Fedayeen after storming his house in this northern city on Wednesday, his neighbors said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq Bids Ban Reopens Diplomatic Rift: "Across Europe, response was swift and angry Wednesday to the U.S. order barring firms based in important allied countries - opponents of the Iraq war - from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction projects. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Calls Iraq Contract Restrictions Appropriate: "The United States said on Wednesdayits decision to bar Iraq war opponents like France, Germany andRussia from $18.6 billion in U.S. reconstruction projects wasappropriate and an inducement for countries to commit troopsand provide other support. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Pentagon: Many of New Iraq Soldiers Quit: "Plans to deploy the first battalion of Iraq's new army are in doubt because a third of the soldiers trained by the U.S.-led occupation authority have quit, defense officials said Wednesday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
On Killing Children: An Open Letter to US Military Spokesman Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty (10 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Iran's Nobel Winner Hits Out at U.S. Foreign Policy (10 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Pentagon: Barring bidders not punitive: "The U.S. government's decision to bar firms based in countries that oppose the Iraq war from bidding on contracts for Iraqi reconstruction projects was not meant to punish them, a Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq bids ban reopens diplomatic rift: "Across Europe, response was swift and angry Wednesday to the U.S. order barring firms based in important allied countries - opponents of the Iraq war - from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction projects."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Troops Kill Saddam Fedayeen Officer: "U.S. troops shot and killed a senior officer of the paramilitary group Saddam Fedayeen after storming his house in this northern city on Wednesday, his neighbors said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq Bids Ban Reopens Diplomatic Rift: "Across Europe, response was swift and angry Wednesday to the U.S. order barring firms based in important allied countries - opponents of the Iraq war - from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction projects. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Annan Rules Out U.N. Return to Iraq in Near Future: "U.N. Secretary-General KofiAnnan on Wednesday said Iraq was still too dangerous for U.N.international staff to return but indicated he was willing toplay a bigger role once the U.S.-led occupation ended. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
TASK FORCE ?ALL AMERICAN? CAPTURES SPANISH ATTACKERS in CENTCOM: News Release
4TH ID CAPTURES CRIMINALS, CONFISCATES WEAPONS in CENTCOM: News Release
U.S. raids net dozens of Iraqi insurgents in CNN - War in Iraq
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Iraq War News
U.N. chief to name interim envoy to Iraq: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan plans to name a veteran U.N. humanitarian relief official from New Zealand as his interim envoy to Iraq, diplomats said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Suicide attacks wound 61 troops in Iraq: "Suicide bombers, one in a car and another on foot, blew themselves up at the gates of two U.S. military bases on Tuesday, wounding 61 American soldiers but failing to inflict deadly casualties on the scale of recent attacks in Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Two Republicans Seek Audit of U.S. Iraq Operations: "Two Republican U.S. congressmen justback from a trip to Iraq urged President Bush on Tuesday toaccept an independent panel to audit U.S. operations there, andcalled on him to acknowledge mistakes that they said set backIraq's recovery by months. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Sure, it worked so well in The 'Nam: "All reports are that the American occupation of Iraq is increasingly using strategies of maximum aggression to quell the violent rebellion it faces. As part of this, according to the New Yorker's Seymour Hersh, the Bush Administration has authorized "a major escalation of the Special Forces covert war in Iraq," sending Delta Force, Navy Seals and CIA paramilitary agents out to preemptively capture or assassinate alleged guerrillas. ?The only way we can win is to go unconventional. We?re going to have to play their game. Guerrilla versus guerrilla. Terrorism versus terrorism. We?ve got to scare the Iraqis into submission," said one American advisor to the occupation."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Caught in the crossfire: "A new online campaign is building pressure on those perpetuating the "Plame Affair" cover-up, in which Iraq whistleblower Joe Wilson's wife was outed through an anonymous leak planted in right-wing pundit Robert Novak's column. The leak was clearly intended to put the chill on anyone else from within the government who would be so bold as to challenged the lies of the Administration. The Progressive Majorityis behind the Bust Bob Novak! campaign, which urges folks to tell Novak's employer, the Chicago Sun-Times, to fire him for his irresponsible use of the leak. Meanwhile, the feds are silent in the alleged investigation they claimed they would pursue to find the leaker..."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Our own West Bank: "Here is a must-read article on the new tactics being employed by the U.S. military to crack down on the guerrilla insurgency. For example, the U.S. has barb-wired entire villages. The notice on the fence reads: "This fence is here for your protection. Do not approach or try to cross, or you will be shot." Continue »"
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Japan Approves Deployment of Troops to Aid U.S. in Iraq: "The deployment will be Japan's most ambitious military operation since its surrender at the end of World War II."
In New York Times: World Special
Iraqi Suicide Attacks Fall Short: "There were only eight serious U.S. casualties and no deaths after the attacks on American bases and a reconnaissance helicopter. Three soldiers died, however, in a road accident and a Baghdad mosque was bombed, killing three civilians."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Iraq's Kurds return to ruined Kirkuk: "Crouching on the moist ground, one man digs the earth with his bare hands while his friends hoist a tree branch to serve as a makeshift electricity pole. They are among 126 Kurdish families who have lived for two months in tents on a muddy plain, awaiting a better life in the new Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Syrian President holds talks with British minister: "Syrian President Bashar Assad has held talks on Iraq and international terrorism with a British envoy who urged closer cooperation on rebuilding neighbouring Iraq."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Bagram GI: Troops Waited While Hillary Chowed Down: "This apparently comes from a reliable DoD source. . .
Received from: Ordnance Handling Officer USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65)Tuesday,
Dec. 2, 2003 12:44 a.m. EST
Bagram GI: Troops Waited While Hillary Chowed Down
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton forced U.S. troops stationed at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan to wait for their Thanksgiving dinner last Thursday while she and her entourage arrived late, then cut in line and were served first.
A soldier who witnessed the scene tells NewsMax:
"Thanksgiving Dinner started at 3 p.m. that day, so the line was forming around 2:30 p.m. She didn't show up until around 3:30 p.m.
"Once she got there," our source maintains, "Clinton and her entourage bumped everyone in line, forcing them to wait almost an extra hour."
The brass at Bagram apparently had a hard time rounding up New Yorkers who wanted to have dinner with Clinton, D-N.Y. Only six GIs responded to an e-mail sent out last week that stated, "Looking for military members from New York and Rhode Island interested in meeting their Senator/Congressman."
People magazine was on hand to cover the event and wanted to interview the troops for reaction to Clinton's visit.
"But they were getting declined left and right," our source said. "People were actually telling the reporters, 'You don't want to print what I think about her and her visit.'"
After Clinton and her entourage departed, the only topics GIs wanted to talk about were "how great the food was and how fantastic they thought George Bush's visit to Iraq was."
"
In Command Post: Irak
U.N. chief to name interim envoy to Iraq: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan plans to name a veteran U.N. humanitarian relief official from New Zealand as his interim envoy to Iraq, diplomats said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Suicide attacks wound 61 troops in Iraq: "Suicide bombers, one in a car and another on foot, blew themselves up at the gates of two U.S. military bases on Tuesday, wounding 61 American soldiers but failing to inflict deadly casualties on the scale of recent attacks in Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Two Republicans Seek Audit of U.S. Iraq Operations: "Two Republican U.S. congressmen justback from a trip to Iraq urged President Bush on Tuesday toaccept an independent panel to audit U.S. operations there, andcalled on him to acknowledge mistakes that they said set backIraq's recovery by months. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Sure, it worked so well in The 'Nam: "All reports are that the American occupation of Iraq is increasingly using strategies of maximum aggression to quell the violent rebellion it faces. As part of this, according to the New Yorker's Seymour Hersh, the Bush Administration has authorized "a major escalation of the Special Forces covert war in Iraq," sending Delta Force, Navy Seals and CIA paramilitary agents out to preemptively capture or assassinate alleged guerrillas. ?The only way we can win is to go unconventional. We?re going to have to play their game. Guerrilla versus guerrilla. Terrorism versus terrorism. We?ve got to scare the Iraqis into submission," said one American advisor to the occupation."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Caught in the crossfire: "A new online campaign is building pressure on those perpetuating the "Plame Affair" cover-up, in which Iraq whistleblower Joe Wilson's wife was outed through an anonymous leak planted in right-wing pundit Robert Novak's column. The leak was clearly intended to put the chill on anyone else from within the government who would be so bold as to challenged the lies of the Administration. The Progressive Majorityis behind the Bust Bob Novak! campaign, which urges folks to tell Novak's employer, the Chicago Sun-Times, to fire him for his irresponsible use of the leak. Meanwhile, the feds are silent in the alleged investigation they claimed they would pursue to find the leaker..."
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Our own West Bank: "Here is a must-read article on the new tactics being employed by the U.S. military to crack down on the guerrilla insurgency. For example, the U.S. has barb-wired entire villages. The notice on the fence reads: "This fence is here for your protection. Do not approach or try to cross, or you will be shot." Continue »"
In Alternet: War On Iraq
Japan Approves Deployment of Troops to Aid U.S. in Iraq: "The deployment will be Japan's most ambitious military operation since its surrender at the end of World War II."
In New York Times: World Special
Iraqi Suicide Attacks Fall Short: "There were only eight serious U.S. casualties and no deaths after the attacks on American bases and a reconnaissance helicopter. Three soldiers died, however, in a road accident and a Baghdad mosque was bombed, killing three civilians."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Iraq's Kurds return to ruined Kirkuk: "Crouching on the moist ground, one man digs the earth with his bare hands while his friends hoist a tree branch to serve as a makeshift electricity pole. They are among 126 Kurdish families who have lived for two months in tents on a muddy plain, awaiting a better life in the new Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Syrian President holds talks with British minister: "Syrian President Bashar Assad has held talks on Iraq and international terrorism with a British envoy who urged closer cooperation on rebuilding neighbouring Iraq."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Bagram GI: Troops Waited While Hillary Chowed Down: "This apparently comes from a reliable DoD source. . .
Received from: Ordnance Handling Officer USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65)Tuesday,
Dec. 2, 2003 12:44 a.m. EST
Bagram GI: Troops Waited While Hillary Chowed Down
U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton forced U.S. troops stationed at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan to wait for their Thanksgiving dinner last Thursday while she and her entourage arrived late, then cut in line and were served first.
A soldier who witnessed the scene tells NewsMax:
"Thanksgiving Dinner started at 3 p.m. that day, so the line was forming around 2:30 p.m. She didn't show up until around 3:30 p.m.
"Once she got there," our source maintains, "Clinton and her entourage bumped everyone in line, forcing them to wait almost an extra hour."
The brass at Bagram apparently had a hard time rounding up New Yorkers who wanted to have dinner with Clinton, D-N.Y. Only six GIs responded to an e-mail sent out last week that stated, "Looking for military members from New York and Rhode Island interested in meeting their Senator/Congressman."
People magazine was on hand to cover the event and wanted to interview the troops for reaction to Clinton's visit.
"But they were getting declined left and right," our source said. "People were actually telling the reporters, 'You don't want to print what I think about her and her visit.'"
After Clinton and her entourage departed, the only topics GIs wanted to talk about were "how great the food was and how fantastic they thought George Bush's visit to Iraq was."
"
In Command Post: Irak
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Iraq War
Japan approves controversial troop dispatch to Iraq: "Japan's cabinet approved a basic plan to send troops to Iraq on a humanitarian mission, a spokesman for the prime minister's office said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israeli kibbutz movement in dire straits: "After spending World War II in Nazi camps, Esther Cohen saw the swamplands of Kibbutz Metzuba as a paradise."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqi Air Force Jets Head to the Junkyard: "Following the Biblical call to turn swords into ploughshares, junkyard owner Ahmad Ali Thalib is converting scrapped jet fighters into pots and pans. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israel trains US assassination squads in Iraq (9 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
U.N. takes Israel barrier to International court (9 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
With More Money to Spend, Middle-Class Iraqis Go Shopping for Luxury Goods: "A swath of middle-class society has experienced a jump in income that is driving a boom in demand for luxury goods."
In New York Times: World Special
G.I. on Guard at Gas Station Is Shot to Death: "A U.S. soldier was killed in Mosul, Iraq, while standing guard at a long lines of cars backed up because of a gasoline shortage."
In New York Times: World Special
Indonesian Criticizes U.S. Over the War in Iraq: "The foreign minister of Indonesia said that the American policy in Iraq might have made the world more dangerous."
In New York Times: World Special
Japan Cabinet Expected to OK Iraq Mission: "After months of debate, Japan's prime minister said his Cabinet will likely approve the deployment of non-combat troops to Iraq on Tuesday, but opposition parties vowed to do all they can to keep Japanese forces at home. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Japan set to approve troop dispatch to Iraq: "Japan is set to approve a plan to dispatch some 500-700 ground troops to Iraq to provide humanitarian aid for between six months to a year, according to press reports. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi Symphony Prepares for D.C. Concert: "Muntha Jamil Hafidh describes his orchestra's upcoming performance here in the same terms that any foreign musician might: an opportunity at learn from U.S. musicians and share his country's culture. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US, Britain pressed on Iraq arms hunt: "The United States and Britain came under pressure at the UN Security Council on Monday to hand over confidential information on the search for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Sharon may weigh W. Bank settlement moves: "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has indicated for the first time that he might consider moving Jewish settlements in the West Bank as part of the unilateral moves he is considering."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Survey: Saddam Killed 61,000 in Baghdad: "Saddam Hussein's government may have executed 61,000 Baghdad residents, a number significantly higher than previously believed, according to a survey obtained Monday by The Associated Press. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Laura Bush Was Worred About Baghdad Trip: "First lady Laura Bush says her husband first told her about a trip to Iraq six weeks before Thanksgiving, and she ranks his surprise trip among "the best-kept secrets ever." (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US, Britain pressed on Iraq arms hunt: "The United States and Britain came under pressure at the UN Security Council on Monday to hand over confidential information on the search for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Recreating Palestine in Iraq: "Here is a must-read article on the new tactics being employed by the U.S. military to crack down on the guerilla insurgency. For example, the U.S. has barbwired entire villages. The notice on the fence reads: "This fence is here for your protection. Do not approach or try to cross, or you will be shot."
Iraqis are allowed to leave and enter their village through carefully monitored checkposts, but only when they produce special identification cards. Sound familiar? It sure does to Tariq, who says, "I see no difference between us and the Palestinians." Perhaps imitating Israel is not exactly the best path to winning Iraqi hearts. But U.S. commanders disagree: Continue »"
In Alternet: War On Iraq
TASK FORCE ?ALL-AMERICAN? TRAINS NEW IRAQI SECURITY FORCES in CENTCOM: News Release
Japan approves controversial troop dispatch to Iraq: "Japan's cabinet approved a basic plan to send troops to Iraq on a humanitarian mission, a spokesman for the prime minister's office said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israeli kibbutz movement in dire straits: "After spending World War II in Nazi camps, Esther Cohen saw the swamplands of Kibbutz Metzuba as a paradise."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraqi Air Force Jets Head to the Junkyard: "Following the Biblical call to turn swords into ploughshares, junkyard owner Ahmad Ali Thalib is converting scrapped jet fighters into pots and pans. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israel trains US assassination squads in Iraq (9 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
U.N. takes Israel barrier to International court (9 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
With More Money to Spend, Middle-Class Iraqis Go Shopping for Luxury Goods: "A swath of middle-class society has experienced a jump in income that is driving a boom in demand for luxury goods."
In New York Times: World Special
G.I. on Guard at Gas Station Is Shot to Death: "A U.S. soldier was killed in Mosul, Iraq, while standing guard at a long lines of cars backed up because of a gasoline shortage."
In New York Times: World Special
Indonesian Criticizes U.S. Over the War in Iraq: "The foreign minister of Indonesia said that the American policy in Iraq might have made the world more dangerous."
In New York Times: World Special
Japan Cabinet Expected to OK Iraq Mission: "After months of debate, Japan's prime minister said his Cabinet will likely approve the deployment of non-combat troops to Iraq on Tuesday, but opposition parties vowed to do all they can to keep Japanese forces at home. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Japan set to approve troop dispatch to Iraq: "Japan is set to approve a plan to dispatch some 500-700 ground troops to Iraq to provide humanitarian aid for between six months to a year, according to press reports. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi Symphony Prepares for D.C. Concert: "Muntha Jamil Hafidh describes his orchestra's upcoming performance here in the same terms that any foreign musician might: an opportunity at learn from U.S. musicians and share his country's culture. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US, Britain pressed on Iraq arms hunt: "The United States and Britain came under pressure at the UN Security Council on Monday to hand over confidential information on the search for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Sharon may weigh W. Bank settlement moves: "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has indicated for the first time that he might consider moving Jewish settlements in the West Bank as part of the unilateral moves he is considering."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Survey: Saddam Killed 61,000 in Baghdad: "Saddam Hussein's government may have executed 61,000 Baghdad residents, a number significantly higher than previously believed, according to a survey obtained Monday by The Associated Press. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Laura Bush Was Worred About Baghdad Trip: "First lady Laura Bush says her husband first told her about a trip to Iraq six weeks before Thanksgiving, and she ranks his surprise trip among "the best-kept secrets ever." (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US, Britain pressed on Iraq arms hunt: "The United States and Britain came under pressure at the UN Security Council on Monday to hand over confidential information on the search for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Recreating Palestine in Iraq: "Here is a must-read article on the new tactics being employed by the U.S. military to crack down on the guerilla insurgency. For example, the U.S. has barbwired entire villages. The notice on the fence reads: "This fence is here for your protection. Do not approach or try to cross, or you will be shot."
Iraqis are allowed to leave and enter their village through carefully monitored checkposts, but only when they produce special identification cards. Sound familiar? It sure does to Tariq, who says, "I see no difference between us and the Palestinians." Perhaps imitating Israel is not exactly the best path to winning Iraqi hearts. But U.S. commanders disagree: Continue »"
In Alternet: War On Iraq
TASK FORCE ?ALL-AMERICAN? TRAINS NEW IRAQI SECURITY FORCES in CENTCOM: News Release
Monday, December 08, 2003
Iraq war news
Arabs focus on refugee issue after accord: "Deciding the fate of millions of Palestinian refugees may be the biggest challenge to settling more than five decades of Arab-Israeli conflict."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Emirates airlines announces engine deal: "Emirates airlines announced Monday a $1.5 billion deal with engine manufacturers General Electric and Pratt & Whitney for more than 90 engines to power an order of Airbus A380 aircraft."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Some Iraqis Get New Freedom After Saddam: "The Musawis are grateful to the Americans for getting rid of Saddam Hussein. It's meant higher wages, a new car and more freedom. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
S.Korean Electric Workers to Leave Iraq: "A South Korean company said Monday it has decided to withdraw its 60 workers restoring electricity lines in Iraq, after a gun attack killed two of its electricians working for the U.S. government project. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Presidential Trips Abroad: "Andy Rooney looks back at President Bush's surprise Thanksgiving visit to Iraq, and reflects on some other notable presidential trips."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Operation Iraqi Freedom: "A senior representative of the top Shiite religious leader in Iraq tells Steve Kroft that former loyalists of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party must be fired from municipal posts."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Andrew's Winds of War: Dec 8/03: "Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Andrew Olmsted (with plenty of help from Joe) of Andrew Olmsted dot com .
TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: more on Samarra; Was the '45 minutes' WMD claim accurate; Domestic WMD plot thwarted; Canada - terrorism conduit?; Sniper update; AQ finance chief nabbed; Afghanistan; The Wall and Geneva; Winning the War of Ideas; Chechnya; Will NATO survive the war on terror?
Read The Rest..."
In Command Post: Irak
Indonesia Says U.S. Policy in Iraq Becoming Debacle: "Indonesia, the world's most populousMuslim nation, issued some of its harshest criticism ofWashington's Iraq policy on Monday, saying the U.S. occupationhad not met objectives and was becoming a debacle. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Making a killing in the new Iraq as cars, TVs, food and fridges flood in (08 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Palestinians agree to a conditional ceasefire in Israel (8 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Palestinians can't agree on truce offer: "Palestinians failed to agree on a truce offer to Israel on Sunday after three days of talks, setting back the Palestinian prime minister's hopes for a halt in violence to jump start the stalled U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Daniel Nehme, Syria politician, dies at 78: "Daniel Nehme, a member of the central leadership of Syria's ruling political coalition, has died at age 78, the official Syrian Arab News Agency said Sunday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Report: Source of Iraq Arms Claim Emerges: "By MICHAEL McDONOUGH
Associated Press Writer
Originally published December 7, 2003, 8:22 AM EST
LONDON
* * *
The Sunday Telegraph said Lt. Col. al-Dabbagh identified himself as the source for the British government's assertion that Iraq could have deployed chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes of a decision to do so . The paper gave the officer's surname only, citing fears for his safety if he was fully identified.
The 45-minute claim was in a government dossier published in September 2002. A British Broadcasting Corp. report later accused the government of "sexing up" the dossier to make a more convincing case for military action. Government weapons adviser David Kelly apparently committed suicide in July after being identified as the source for the BBC report.
Kelly's death prompted a judicial inquiry that scrutinized the workings of Blair's government and its use of intelligence in the buildup to the U.S.-led war. A report from the inquiry is expected early next year.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that al-Dabbagh was the former head of an Iraqi air defense unit in the country's western desert. It said he had spied for the Iraqi National Accord, a London-based exile group, and provided reports to British intelligence from early 2002 on Saddam's plans to deploy weapons of mass destruction.
Al-Dabbagh said cases containing chemical or biological warheads were delivered to front-line units, including his own, in late 2002, the paper reported. He said they were designed to be launched by hand-held rocket-propelled grenades, and did not know what exactly the warheads contained.
The government's September dossier said that "Iraq's military forces are able to use chemical and biological weapons, with command, control and logistical arrangements in place. The Iraqi military are able to deploy these weapons within 45 minutes of a decision to do so."
The head of the MI6 spy agency, Sir Richard Dearlove, told the inquiry into Kelly's death that the 45-minute warning in the dossier came from an "established and reliable source," quoting a senior Iraqi military officer who was in a position to know the information.
The Sunday Telegraph said al-Dabbagh believed he was the source for that claim.
"I am the one responsible for providing this information," he was quoted as saying. "It is 100 percent accurate.
"Forget 45 minutes, we could have fired these within half an hour," al-Dabbagh added. He said the weapons were not used because most of the Iraqi army did not want to fight for Saddam.
The newspaper said al-Dabbagh works as an adviser to the Iraqi Governing Council and said he has received death threats from Saddam loyalists.
* * *
Via the Baltimore Sun .
"
In Command Post: Irak
Rumsfeld watches training of Iraq's new security forces: "Military says attacks on U.S. troops decline
By John Hendren
Los Angeles Times
Originally published December 7, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld saw firsthand the U.S.-led coalition's strategy of turning over security to Iraqis in a sweep through the nation yesterday, as military officials lauded a precipitous drop in attacks on American troops even as they acknowledged that it was likely the result of poor weather and the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The Pentagon chief focused much of his visit on briefings and demonstrations of the fledgling Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, one of four security forces set up by the occupying coalition.
The Pentagon's strategy in Iraq is to increasingly turn control of security - police, border patrol and military actions - to newly established Iraqi agencies that, in the case of the civil defense corps, often receive less than one month's training.
With 140,000 Iraqi border patrol and police officers, paramilitary troops, building guards and other security forces in place, Rumsfeld said, "they are increasingly taking over security in this country."
He trusted his safety to members of the corps, entering a Baghdad warehouse in which roughly 50 new recruits toting AK-47s were in their first days of training.
During his first stop of the day, in the northern city of Kirkuk, Rumsfeld met with a group of recruits and their commanders in crisp new khaki uniforms at a lavish home confiscated from an unidentified Iraqi on the list of most-wanted former regime officials.
The Iraqi civil defense corps is coming along "very fast," he told the recruits, giving Americans confidence that it "can make a tremendous difference."
* * *
Rumsfeld was joined throughout the day by the top commander on the ground, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez.
Several senior military officials said attacks on U.S. personnel have plunged from nearly 40 a day in early last month to 19 daily over the past week.
Nevertheless, they acknowledged, it is not clear that the decline will endure, and many suggested that attacks would likely increase during the hajj holiday next month.
The coalition death toll soared during Ramadan, making last month the costliest for the United States and its allies since the invasion of Iraq more than eight months ago.
Dempsey said that four of 10 known guerrilla cells were disabled last month, including one that he said was responsible for the October rocket attack on the Al Rashid Hotel that killed a U.S. Army colonel while Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz was in the building.
The 1st Armored is still pursuing intelligence that it hopes will allow the division to crush the remaining six cells, he said.
The arrests have diminished but not ended the insurgents' ability to launch attacks because their leadership and financiers remain at large, Dempsey said.
Nevertheless, Sanchez painted a portrait of gradual success for Rumsfeld's third visit since President Bush declared major combat over May 1.
"The main message to the secretary is primarily that we're being successful, our troops are prepared and we're making a lot of progress," Sanchez said.
* * *
Via the Baltimore Sun .
"
In Command Post: Irak
Iraq Prepares to Create Its Own Tribunal to Prosecute War Crimes Under Hussein: "The special court would try members of Saddam Hussein's government on charges varying from genocide to squandering the nation's wealth."
In New York Times: World Special
Iraqi Exiles Face Uncertainty as Enthusiasm for Them Dims at Home and in Washington: "With Iraq moving toward a new political configuration, Iraqis are debating whether Iraqi exiles are the nation's future or its past."
In New York Times: World Special
General Sees More Attacks as Elections Near: "Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez added that insurgent forces were bent on disrupting Iraq's transition to democracy."
In New York Times: World Special
In TV Interviews, Senator Clinton Criticizes Bush's Handling of Iraq: "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York sharply criticized President Bush's policies in Iraq during an unusual series of back-to-back appearance on the Sunday morning talk shows."
In New York Times: World Special
WMD claims of Iraqi 'colonel' treated sceptically (8 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Rumsfeld Says Army in Iraq Not Worn Out: "The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a toll on the Army, but the soldiers who are due home next spring are fit to return to a war zone if called upon, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Sunday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Card Calls Prewar Intelligence Woes 'Moot': "President Bush's chief of staff dismissed as "a moot point" any lingering question about whether Bush relied on faulty intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
First Commercial Flight Brings Joy to Iraqi Kurds: "With a final victory swoop over theIraqi Kurd capital and a waggle of his wings on Sunday, thepilot of the new United Iraqi Airlines landed his plane to wildapplause - inside and out. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Turkey charges 3 more in Istanbul attack: "A Turkish court on Sunday charged three more men for their involvement in a string of suicide bombings in Istanbul, raising the total number of suspects to 30."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iran's Khatami orders vigilante crackdown: "Iran's president Sunday ordered two Cabinet ministers to crack down on hard-line vigilantes who disrupt political meetings following an attack on one of his close aides, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq: "As of Friday, Dec. 5, 443 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. Of those, 306 died as a result of hostile action and 137 died of non-hostile causes, the department said. The department did not provide an update Sunday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US has forfeited its "moral leadership" of the world under Bush: Dean: "The United States has forfeited its "moral leadership" of the world under President George W. Bush, Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean charged. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
No oil crisis in Iraq, ministry says: "Iraq is suffering only a temporary shortage of oil and not a crisis, the spokesman for the oil-rich country's oil ministry said as motorists faced long lines at the fuel pumps. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq's political transformation delicate: "Sitting at his desk, the governor pulls out a photograph of the corpse of a brother - red marks around his neck - who was executed by Saddam Hussein's regime. He displays another of himself, walking with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in Iraq in September."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Arabs focus on refugee issue after accord: "Deciding the fate of millions of Palestinian refugees may be the biggest challenge to settling more than five decades of Arab-Israeli conflict."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Emirates airlines announces engine deal: "Emirates airlines announced Monday a $1.5 billion deal with engine manufacturers General Electric and Pratt & Whitney for more than 90 engines to power an order of Airbus A380 aircraft."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Some Iraqis Get New Freedom After Saddam: "The Musawis are grateful to the Americans for getting rid of Saddam Hussein. It's meant higher wages, a new car and more freedom. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
S.Korean Electric Workers to Leave Iraq: "A South Korean company said Monday it has decided to withdraw its 60 workers restoring electricity lines in Iraq, after a gun attack killed two of its electricians working for the U.S. government project. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Presidential Trips Abroad: "Andy Rooney looks back at President Bush's surprise Thanksgiving visit to Iraq, and reflects on some other notable presidential trips."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Operation Iraqi Freedom: "A senior representative of the top Shiite religious leader in Iraq tells Steve Kroft that former loyalists of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party must be fired from municipal posts."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
Andrew's Winds of War: Dec 8/03: "Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Andrew Olmsted (with plenty of help from Joe) of Andrew Olmsted dot com .
TOP TOPICS
- The issue of Saudi support for terrorism has been an open secret since September 11. Now US News has blown into the issue and uncovered just how deep the problem is (Hat tip: Instapundit ).
- The commander of American forces in Iraq expects attacks to increase as Iraq comes closer to national elections next summer. The logic is impeccable, but it suggests that November may be a harbinger of things to come rather than an aberration.
- JK: Photos from Iraq's mass graves . If you were for the war, you need to see this. If you were against it, you really need to see this.
Other Topics Today Include: more on Samarra; Was the '45 minutes' WMD claim accurate; Domestic WMD plot thwarted; Canada - terrorism conduit?; Sniper update; AQ finance chief nabbed; Afghanistan; The Wall and Geneva; Winning the War of Ideas; Chechnya; Will NATO survive the war on terror?
Read The Rest..."
In Command Post: Irak
Indonesia Says U.S. Policy in Iraq Becoming Debacle: "Indonesia, the world's most populousMuslim nation, issued some of its harshest criticism ofWashington's Iraq policy on Monday, saying the U.S. occupationhad not met objectives and was becoming a debacle. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Making a killing in the new Iraq as cars, TVs, food and fridges flood in (08 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Palestinians agree to a conditional ceasefire in Israel (8 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Palestinians can't agree on truce offer: "Palestinians failed to agree on a truce offer to Israel on Sunday after three days of talks, setting back the Palestinian prime minister's hopes for a halt in violence to jump start the stalled U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Daniel Nehme, Syria politician, dies at 78: "Daniel Nehme, a member of the central leadership of Syria's ruling political coalition, has died at age 78, the official Syrian Arab News Agency said Sunday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Report: Source of Iraq Arms Claim Emerges: "By MICHAEL McDONOUGH
Associated Press Writer
Originally published December 7, 2003, 8:22 AM EST
LONDON
* * *
The Sunday Telegraph said Lt. Col. al-Dabbagh identified himself as the source for the British government's assertion that Iraq could have deployed chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes of a decision to do so . The paper gave the officer's surname only, citing fears for his safety if he was fully identified.
The 45-minute claim was in a government dossier published in September 2002. A British Broadcasting Corp. report later accused the government of "sexing up" the dossier to make a more convincing case for military action. Government weapons adviser David Kelly apparently committed suicide in July after being identified as the source for the BBC report.
Kelly's death prompted a judicial inquiry that scrutinized the workings of Blair's government and its use of intelligence in the buildup to the U.S.-led war. A report from the inquiry is expected early next year.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that al-Dabbagh was the former head of an Iraqi air defense unit in the country's western desert. It said he had spied for the Iraqi National Accord, a London-based exile group, and provided reports to British intelligence from early 2002 on Saddam's plans to deploy weapons of mass destruction.
Al-Dabbagh said cases containing chemical or biological warheads were delivered to front-line units, including his own, in late 2002, the paper reported. He said they were designed to be launched by hand-held rocket-propelled grenades, and did not know what exactly the warheads contained.
The government's September dossier said that "Iraq's military forces are able to use chemical and biological weapons, with command, control and logistical arrangements in place. The Iraqi military are able to deploy these weapons within 45 minutes of a decision to do so."
The head of the MI6 spy agency, Sir Richard Dearlove, told the inquiry into Kelly's death that the 45-minute warning in the dossier came from an "established and reliable source," quoting a senior Iraqi military officer who was in a position to know the information.
The Sunday Telegraph said al-Dabbagh believed he was the source for that claim.
"I am the one responsible for providing this information," he was quoted as saying. "It is 100 percent accurate.
"Forget 45 minutes, we could have fired these within half an hour," al-Dabbagh added. He said the weapons were not used because most of the Iraqi army did not want to fight for Saddam.
The newspaper said al-Dabbagh works as an adviser to the Iraqi Governing Council and said he has received death threats from Saddam loyalists.
* * *
Via the Baltimore Sun .
"
In Command Post: Irak
Rumsfeld watches training of Iraq's new security forces: "Military says attacks on U.S. troops decline
By John Hendren
Los Angeles Times
Originally published December 7, 2003
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld saw firsthand the U.S.-led coalition's strategy of turning over security to Iraqis in a sweep through the nation yesterday, as military officials lauded a precipitous drop in attacks on American troops even as they acknowledged that it was likely the result of poor weather and the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The Pentagon chief focused much of his visit on briefings and demonstrations of the fledgling Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, one of four security forces set up by the occupying coalition.
The Pentagon's strategy in Iraq is to increasingly turn control of security - police, border patrol and military actions - to newly established Iraqi agencies that, in the case of the civil defense corps, often receive less than one month's training.
With 140,000 Iraqi border patrol and police officers, paramilitary troops, building guards and other security forces in place, Rumsfeld said, "they are increasingly taking over security in this country."
He trusted his safety to members of the corps, entering a Baghdad warehouse in which roughly 50 new recruits toting AK-47s were in their first days of training.
During his first stop of the day, in the northern city of Kirkuk, Rumsfeld met with a group of recruits and their commanders in crisp new khaki uniforms at a lavish home confiscated from an unidentified Iraqi on the list of most-wanted former regime officials.
The Iraqi civil defense corps is coming along "very fast," he told the recruits, giving Americans confidence that it "can make a tremendous difference."
* * *
Rumsfeld was joined throughout the day by the top commander on the ground, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez.
Several senior military officials said attacks on U.S. personnel have plunged from nearly 40 a day in early last month to 19 daily over the past week.
Nevertheless, they acknowledged, it is not clear that the decline will endure, and many suggested that attacks would likely increase during the hajj holiday next month.
The coalition death toll soared during Ramadan, making last month the costliest for the United States and its allies since the invasion of Iraq more than eight months ago.
Dempsey said that four of 10 known guerrilla cells were disabled last month, including one that he said was responsible for the October rocket attack on the Al Rashid Hotel that killed a U.S. Army colonel while Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz was in the building.
The 1st Armored is still pursuing intelligence that it hopes will allow the division to crush the remaining six cells, he said.
The arrests have diminished but not ended the insurgents' ability to launch attacks because their leadership and financiers remain at large, Dempsey said.
Nevertheless, Sanchez painted a portrait of gradual success for Rumsfeld's third visit since President Bush declared major combat over May 1.
"The main message to the secretary is primarily that we're being successful, our troops are prepared and we're making a lot of progress," Sanchez said.
* * *
Via the Baltimore Sun .
"
In Command Post: Irak
Iraq Prepares to Create Its Own Tribunal to Prosecute War Crimes Under Hussein: "The special court would try members of Saddam Hussein's government on charges varying from genocide to squandering the nation's wealth."
In New York Times: World Special
Iraqi Exiles Face Uncertainty as Enthusiasm for Them Dims at Home and in Washington: "With Iraq moving toward a new political configuration, Iraqis are debating whether Iraqi exiles are the nation's future or its past."
In New York Times: World Special
General Sees More Attacks as Elections Near: "Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez added that insurgent forces were bent on disrupting Iraq's transition to democracy."
In New York Times: World Special
In TV Interviews, Senator Clinton Criticizes Bush's Handling of Iraq: "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York sharply criticized President Bush's policies in Iraq during an unusual series of back-to-back appearance on the Sunday morning talk shows."
In New York Times: World Special
WMD claims of Iraqi 'colonel' treated sceptically (8 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Rumsfeld Says Army in Iraq Not Worn Out: "The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a toll on the Army, but the soldiers who are due home next spring are fit to return to a war zone if called upon, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Sunday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Card Calls Prewar Intelligence Woes 'Moot': "President Bush's chief of staff dismissed as "a moot point" any lingering question about whether Bush relied on faulty intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
First Commercial Flight Brings Joy to Iraqi Kurds: "With a final victory swoop over theIraqi Kurd capital and a waggle of his wings on Sunday, thepilot of the new United Iraqi Airlines landed his plane to wildapplause - inside and out. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Turkey charges 3 more in Istanbul attack: "A Turkish court on Sunday charged three more men for their involvement in a string of suicide bombings in Istanbul, raising the total number of suspects to 30."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iran's Khatami orders vigilante crackdown: "Iran's president Sunday ordered two Cabinet ministers to crack down on hard-line vigilantes who disrupt political meetings following an attack on one of his close aides, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq: "As of Friday, Dec. 5, 443 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. Of those, 306 died as a result of hostile action and 137 died of non-hostile causes, the department said. The department did not provide an update Sunday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US has forfeited its "moral leadership" of the world under Bush: Dean: "The United States has forfeited its "moral leadership" of the world under President George W. Bush, Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean charged. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
No oil crisis in Iraq, ministry says: "Iraq is suffering only a temporary shortage of oil and not a crisis, the spokesman for the oil-rich country's oil ministry said as motorists faced long lines at the fuel pumps. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq's political transformation delicate: "Sitting at his desk, the governor pulls out a photograph of the corpse of a brother - red marks around his neck - who was executed by Saddam Hussein's regime. He displays another of himself, walking with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in Iraq in September."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Sunday, December 07, 2003
Iraq war news updates
Army Force Stretched After War in Iraq: "The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a toll on the Army, but the soldiers who are due home next spring are fit to return to a war zone if called upon, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Sunday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Tough New Tactics by U.S. Tighten Grip on Iraq Towns: "The new approach appears to be succeeding in diminishing the threat to U.S. soldiers, but at the cost of alienating the people the Americans are trying to win over."
In New York Times: World Special
Rumsfeld, on the Ground in Iraq, Gets a Report on Progress Against the Insurgency: "Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, on a visit to Iraq, was told that attacks against occupying troops had dropped because of better intelligence."
In New York Times: World Special
Funds for Iraq Falling Short of Pledges, Figures Show: "Of $3 billion pledged to meet Iraq's immediate needs at a donors conference six weeks ago, only $685 million has been verified."
In New York Times: World Special
Secular Leaders Worry That, Torn by Turmoil, Iraqis Will Elect an Islamic Theocracy: "In Iraq's present chaotic state, Iraqi officials fear the people may vote for the rigorous order that an Iranian-style Shiite theocracy imposes."
In New York Times: World Special
This Battle of the Bands Is Peaceable: "The Iraqi National Symphony, a symbol of perseverance, will visit the Kennedy Center to play alongside the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington."
In New York Times: World Special
US pushes Iraq security handover: "The US defence secretary says there will be a handover of security operations in Iraq to local forces "over time"."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)
Rumsfeld Visits Iraq; U.S Touts Progress: "Taking a fresh look at postwar Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met Saturday with senior American commanders and was assured that a recent switch to more aggressive anti-insurgency tactics has begun to pay off. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US pushes Iraq security handover: "The US defence secretary says there will be a handover of security operations in Iraq to local forces "over time"."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Egypt library removes anti-Semitic tract: "The Alexandria Library has withdrawn the first Arabic translation of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" from an exhibit after U.N. cultural officials questioned the display of the 19th century anti-Semitic tract."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saudi Arabia names top 26 terror suspects: "Saudi Arabia issued the names and photos of its 26 most wanted terrorist suspects and increased protection around Western housing compounds in the capital Saturday as the United States upgraded its security warning, restricting its diplomats' movements."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq Mourners Open Fire, Killing Policeman: "Iraqis mourning two men killed in a firefight with U.S. troops clashed Saturday with civil defense forces, killing one officer and setting his pickup truck ablaze. "Long live Saddam!" they chanted as the vehicle smoldered. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Japan Holds Funeral for Slain Diplomats: "His voice faltering, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi offered his condolences to family members at Saturday's state funeral for two Japanese diplomats killed in Iraq, the country's first casualties in the U.S.-led war. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Army Force Stretched After War in Iraq: "Only two of the U.S. Army's 10 active-duty divisions will be at full strength for any new conflict next year as battle-weary soldiers return from Iraq, military officials say. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rumsfeld urges quick action on Iraqi transfer of sovereignty: "US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld urged the president of Iraq's governing council to work quickly to resolve outstanding issues on the transfer of sovereignty during a surprise one-day trip to the war-torn country. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
97 vials found in Iraqi scientist's home - some contain bio-weapon precursors. Iraqi records and CPU's destroyed prior to war.: "
Vials: A total of 97 vials-including those with labels consistent with the al Hakam cover stories of single-cell protein and biopesticides, as well as strains that could be used to produce BW agents-were recovered from a scientist's residence.
Storage room in basement of Revolutionary Command Council Headquarters. Burned frames of PC workstations visible on shelves. All rooms sharing walls with this storage room were untouched from fire or battle damage.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The basement historical files were systematically selected and destroyed.
* * *
We have discovered dozens of WMD-related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations during the inspections that began in late 2002. The discovery of these deliberate concealment efforts have come about both through the admissions of Iraqi scientists and officials concerning information they deliberately withheld and through physical evidence of equipment and activities that ISG has discovered that should have been declared to the UN. Let me just give you a few examples of these concealment efforts, some of which I will elaborate on later:
A clandestine network of laboratories and safehouses within the Iraqi Intelligence Service that contained equipment subject to UN monitoring and suitable for continuing CBW research.
A prison laboratory complex, possibly used in human testing of BW agents, that Iraqi officials working to prepare for UN inspections were explicitly ordered not to declare to the UN.
Reference strains of biological organisms concealed in a scientist's home, one of which can be used to produce biological weapons.
New research on BW-applicable agents, Brucella and Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), and continuing work on ricin and aflatoxin were not declared to the UN.
Documents and equipment, hidden in scientists' homes, that would have been useful in resuming uranium enrichment by centrifuge and electromagnetic isotope separation (EMIS).
A line of UAVs not fully declared at an undeclared production facility and an admission that they had tested one of their declared UAVs out to a range of 500 km, 350 km beyond the permissible limit.
Continuing covert capability to manufacture fuel propellant useful only for prohibited SCUD variant missiles, a capability that was maintained at least until the end of 2001 and that cooperating Iraqi scientists have said they were told to conceal from the UN.
Plans and advanced design work for new long-range missiles with ranges up to at least 1000 km - well beyond the 150 km range limit imposed by the UN. Missiles of a 1000 km range would have allowed Iraq to threaten targets through out the Middle East, including Ankara, Cairo, and Abu Dhabi.
Clandestine attempts between late-1999 and 2002 to obtain from North Korea technology related to 1,300 km range ballistic missiles --probably the No Dong -- 300 km range anti-ship cruise missiles, and other prohibited military equipment.
In addition to the discovery of extensive concealment efforts, we have been faced with a systematic sanitization of documentary and computer evidence in a wide range of offices, laboratories, and companies suspected of WMD work. The pattern of these efforts to erase evidence - hard drives destroyed, specific files burned, equipment cleaned of all traces of use - are ones of deliberate, rather than random, acts. For example,
On 10 July 2003 an ISG team exploited the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) Headquarters in Baghdad. The basement of the main building contained an archive of documents situated on well-organized rows of metal shelving. The basement suffered no fire damage despite the total destruction of the upper floors from coalition air strikes. Upon arrival the exploitation team encountered small piles of ash where individual documents or binders of documents were intentionally destroyed. Computer hard drives had been deliberately destroyed. Computers would have had financial value to a random looter; their destruction, rather than removal for resale or reuse, indicates a targeted effort to prevent Coalition forces from gaining access to their contents.
All IIS laboratories visited by IIS exploitation teams have been clearly sanitized, including removal of much equipment, shredding and burning of documents, and even the removal of nameplates from office doors.
Although much of the deliberate destruction and sanitization of documents and records probably occurred during the height of OIF combat operations, indications of significant continuing destruction efforts have been found after the end of major combat operations, including entry in May 2003 of the locked gated vaults of the Ba'ath party intelligence building in Baghdad and highly selective destruction of computer hard drives and data storage equipment along with the burning of a small number of specific binders that appear to have contained financial and intelligence records, and in July 2003 a site exploitation team at the Abu Ghurayb Prison found one pile of the smoldering ashes from documents that was still warm to the touch.
* * *
The foregoing is from " STATEMENT BY DAVID KAY ON THE INTERIM PROGRESS REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE IRAQ SURVEY GROUP (ISG) BEFORE THE HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEFENSE, AND THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, October 2, 2003, " posted at Iraq: Special Report at whitehouse.gov .
"
In Command Post: Irak
Palestinians divided over cease-fire offer: "Hopes faded for Palestinians to offer a full-scale truce to Israel as the militant Hamas and Syrian-based factions said Saturday that they would accept only a narrow cease-fire halting attacks on civilians inside Israeli territory."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
There were 50 specific Iraq-al Qaeda links acknowledged by the CIA before the war: " A LEADING DEMOCRAT on the Senate Intelligence Committee has reiterated his support for the war in Iraq and encouraged the Bush administration to be more aggressive in its preemptive measures to protect Americans. Evan Bayh, a Democrat from Indiana and a leader of moderates in the Senate, responded to questions last week on the war in Iraq and a memo detailing links between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden sent to the committee in late October by Undersecretary of Defense Douglas J. Feith and later excerpted in these pages.
"Even if there's only a 10 percent chance that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden would cooperate, the question is whether that's an acceptable level of risk," Bayh told me. "My answer to that would be an unequivocal 'no.' We need to be much more pro-active on eliminating threats before they're imminent."
Asked about the growing evidence of a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda, Bayh said: "The relationship seemed to have its roots in mutual exploitation. Saddam Hussein used terrorism for his own ends, and Osama bin Laden used a nation-state for the things that only a nation-state can provide. Some of the intelligence is strong, and some of it is murky. But that's the nature of intelligence on a relationship like this--lots of it is going to be speculation and conjecture. Following 9/11, we await certainty at our peril."
* * *
Bayh declined to speak about any of the 50 specific Iraq-al Qaeda links cited in the Feith memo, and said the intelligence community reported before the war that intelligence on the links to "9/11 and al Qaeda" was the weakest part of the justification for war in Iraq.
"Look, there were multiple reasons to remove Saddam Hussein, not the least of which was his butchering of his own people--that's the kind of thing that most progressives used to care about. We were going to have to deal with him militarily at some time in the future. The possibility--even if people thought it unlikely--that he would use weapons of mass death or provide them to terrorists was just too great a risk."
Still, Bayh rejects the conventional wisdom that cooperation between Hussein and bin Laden was implausible because of religious and ideological differences. "They were certainly moving toward the philosophy that 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Both were hostile to us, and while they historically had reasons not to like each other, that historical skepticism is overridden by the enmity and mutual hostility toward us. These are not illogical ties from their perspective."
* * *
Original story reported in The Weekly Standard by Stephen F. Hayes. Via Instapundit .
"
In Command Post: Irak
Killings in Ramadi: ""Two days before the end of Ramadan, just as they were about to break their fast, the family was interrupted by two groups of US troops from the 82nd Airborne Division, bursting into the house from opposite sides. ...The next day the military returned to the village bringing papers with them. They were sorry but they had raided the wrong house, acting on false information." Jo Wilding writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Rumsfeld cautious on Iraq attacks: "The US defence secretary cautions against early optimism following a fall in anti-coalition attacks in Iraq."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Rumsfeld visits troops in Iraq in CNN - War in Iraq
Israel kills two suspected Gaza militants: "The Israeli military shot and killed two Palestinians, armed with grenades and an explosive device, crawling toward a security barrier separating the Gaza Strip from Israel, military sources said Saturday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Funeral for two Iraqis turns violent: "A funeral for two Iraqis killed in a firefight with U.S. troops turned violent Saturday, with mourners killing a security officer and chanting pro-Saddam Hussein slogans over his body."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
South Korea awaits first dead from Iraq: "Kim Young-jin begged her father not to go to Iraq, where he was to lay electric lines."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saudis said to arrest American, Briton: "Saudi authorities have detained an American and a Briton for unspecified reasons, diplomats said Saturday. A Saudi newspaper said the American was the brother of two men convicted in the United States of conspiring to aid the al-Qaida terrorist network."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Army Force Stretched After War in Iraq: "The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a toll on the Army, but the soldiers who are due home next spring are fit to return to a war zone if called upon, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Sunday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Tough New Tactics by U.S. Tighten Grip on Iraq Towns: "The new approach appears to be succeeding in diminishing the threat to U.S. soldiers, but at the cost of alienating the people the Americans are trying to win over."
In New York Times: World Special
Rumsfeld, on the Ground in Iraq, Gets a Report on Progress Against the Insurgency: "Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, on a visit to Iraq, was told that attacks against occupying troops had dropped because of better intelligence."
In New York Times: World Special
Funds for Iraq Falling Short of Pledges, Figures Show: "Of $3 billion pledged to meet Iraq's immediate needs at a donors conference six weeks ago, only $685 million has been verified."
In New York Times: World Special
Secular Leaders Worry That, Torn by Turmoil, Iraqis Will Elect an Islamic Theocracy: "In Iraq's present chaotic state, Iraqi officials fear the people may vote for the rigorous order that an Iranian-style Shiite theocracy imposes."
In New York Times: World Special
This Battle of the Bands Is Peaceable: "The Iraqi National Symphony, a symbol of perseverance, will visit the Kennedy Center to play alongside the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington."
In New York Times: World Special
US pushes Iraq security handover: "The US defence secretary says there will be a handover of security operations in Iraq to local forces "over time"."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)
Rumsfeld Visits Iraq; U.S Touts Progress: "Taking a fresh look at postwar Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met Saturday with senior American commanders and was assured that a recent switch to more aggressive anti-insurgency tactics has begun to pay off. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US pushes Iraq security handover: "The US defence secretary says there will be a handover of security operations in Iraq to local forces "over time"."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Egypt library removes anti-Semitic tract: "The Alexandria Library has withdrawn the first Arabic translation of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" from an exhibit after U.N. cultural officials questioned the display of the 19th century anti-Semitic tract."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saudi Arabia names top 26 terror suspects: "Saudi Arabia issued the names and photos of its 26 most wanted terrorist suspects and increased protection around Western housing compounds in the capital Saturday as the United States upgraded its security warning, restricting its diplomats' movements."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iraq Mourners Open Fire, Killing Policeman: "Iraqis mourning two men killed in a firefight with U.S. troops clashed Saturday with civil defense forces, killing one officer and setting his pickup truck ablaze. "Long live Saddam!" they chanted as the vehicle smoldered. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Japan Holds Funeral for Slain Diplomats: "His voice faltering, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi offered his condolences to family members at Saturday's state funeral for two Japanese diplomats killed in Iraq, the country's first casualties in the U.S.-led war. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Army Force Stretched After War in Iraq: "Only two of the U.S. Army's 10 active-duty divisions will be at full strength for any new conflict next year as battle-weary soldiers return from Iraq, military officials say. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rumsfeld urges quick action on Iraqi transfer of sovereignty: "US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld urged the president of Iraq's governing council to work quickly to resolve outstanding issues on the transfer of sovereignty during a surprise one-day trip to the war-torn country. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
97 vials found in Iraqi scientist's home - some contain bio-weapon precursors. Iraqi records and CPU's destroyed prior to war.: "
Vials: A total of 97 vials-including those with labels consistent with the al Hakam cover stories of single-cell protein and biopesticides, as well as strains that could be used to produce BW agents-were recovered from a scientist's residence.
Storage room in basement of Revolutionary Command Council Headquarters. Burned frames of PC workstations visible on shelves. All rooms sharing walls with this storage room were untouched from fire or battle damage.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The basement historical files were systematically selected and destroyed.
* * *
We have discovered dozens of WMD-related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations during the inspections that began in late 2002. The discovery of these deliberate concealment efforts have come about both through the admissions of Iraqi scientists and officials concerning information they deliberately withheld and through physical evidence of equipment and activities that ISG has discovered that should have been declared to the UN. Let me just give you a few examples of these concealment efforts, some of which I will elaborate on later:
A clandestine network of laboratories and safehouses within the Iraqi Intelligence Service that contained equipment subject to UN monitoring and suitable for continuing CBW research.
A prison laboratory complex, possibly used in human testing of BW agents, that Iraqi officials working to prepare for UN inspections were explicitly ordered not to declare to the UN.
Reference strains of biological organisms concealed in a scientist's home, one of which can be used to produce biological weapons.
New research on BW-applicable agents, Brucella and Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), and continuing work on ricin and aflatoxin were not declared to the UN.
Documents and equipment, hidden in scientists' homes, that would have been useful in resuming uranium enrichment by centrifuge and electromagnetic isotope separation (EMIS).
A line of UAVs not fully declared at an undeclared production facility and an admission that they had tested one of their declared UAVs out to a range of 500 km, 350 km beyond the permissible limit.
Continuing covert capability to manufacture fuel propellant useful only for prohibited SCUD variant missiles, a capability that was maintained at least until the end of 2001 and that cooperating Iraqi scientists have said they were told to conceal from the UN.
Plans and advanced design work for new long-range missiles with ranges up to at least 1000 km - well beyond the 150 km range limit imposed by the UN. Missiles of a 1000 km range would have allowed Iraq to threaten targets through out the Middle East, including Ankara, Cairo, and Abu Dhabi.
Clandestine attempts between late-1999 and 2002 to obtain from North Korea technology related to 1,300 km range ballistic missiles --probably the No Dong -- 300 km range anti-ship cruise missiles, and other prohibited military equipment.
In addition to the discovery of extensive concealment efforts, we have been faced with a systematic sanitization of documentary and computer evidence in a wide range of offices, laboratories, and companies suspected of WMD work. The pattern of these efforts to erase evidence - hard drives destroyed, specific files burned, equipment cleaned of all traces of use - are ones of deliberate, rather than random, acts. For example,
On 10 July 2003 an ISG team exploited the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC) Headquarters in Baghdad. The basement of the main building contained an archive of documents situated on well-organized rows of metal shelving. The basement suffered no fire damage despite the total destruction of the upper floors from coalition air strikes. Upon arrival the exploitation team encountered small piles of ash where individual documents or binders of documents were intentionally destroyed. Computer hard drives had been deliberately destroyed. Computers would have had financial value to a random looter; their destruction, rather than removal for resale or reuse, indicates a targeted effort to prevent Coalition forces from gaining access to their contents.
All IIS laboratories visited by IIS exploitation teams have been clearly sanitized, including removal of much equipment, shredding and burning of documents, and even the removal of nameplates from office doors.
Although much of the deliberate destruction and sanitization of documents and records probably occurred during the height of OIF combat operations, indications of significant continuing destruction efforts have been found after the end of major combat operations, including entry in May 2003 of the locked gated vaults of the Ba'ath party intelligence building in Baghdad and highly selective destruction of computer hard drives and data storage equipment along with the burning of a small number of specific binders that appear to have contained financial and intelligence records, and in July 2003 a site exploitation team at the Abu Ghurayb Prison found one pile of the smoldering ashes from documents that was still warm to the touch.
* * *
The foregoing is from " STATEMENT BY DAVID KAY ON THE INTERIM PROGRESS REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE IRAQ SURVEY GROUP (ISG) BEFORE THE HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEFENSE, AND THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, October 2, 2003, " posted at Iraq: Special Report at whitehouse.gov .
"
In Command Post: Irak
Palestinians divided over cease-fire offer: "Hopes faded for Palestinians to offer a full-scale truce to Israel as the militant Hamas and Syrian-based factions said Saturday that they would accept only a narrow cease-fire halting attacks on civilians inside Israeli territory."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
There were 50 specific Iraq-al Qaeda links acknowledged by the CIA before the war: " A LEADING DEMOCRAT on the Senate Intelligence Committee has reiterated his support for the war in Iraq and encouraged the Bush administration to be more aggressive in its preemptive measures to protect Americans. Evan Bayh, a Democrat from Indiana and a leader of moderates in the Senate, responded to questions last week on the war in Iraq and a memo detailing links between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden sent to the committee in late October by Undersecretary of Defense Douglas J. Feith and later excerpted in these pages.
"Even if there's only a 10 percent chance that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden would cooperate, the question is whether that's an acceptable level of risk," Bayh told me. "My answer to that would be an unequivocal 'no.' We need to be much more pro-active on eliminating threats before they're imminent."
Asked about the growing evidence of a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda, Bayh said: "The relationship seemed to have its roots in mutual exploitation. Saddam Hussein used terrorism for his own ends, and Osama bin Laden used a nation-state for the things that only a nation-state can provide. Some of the intelligence is strong, and some of it is murky. But that's the nature of intelligence on a relationship like this--lots of it is going to be speculation and conjecture. Following 9/11, we await certainty at our peril."
* * *
Bayh declined to speak about any of the 50 specific Iraq-al Qaeda links cited in the Feith memo, and said the intelligence community reported before the war that intelligence on the links to "9/11 and al Qaeda" was the weakest part of the justification for war in Iraq.
"Look, there were multiple reasons to remove Saddam Hussein, not the least of which was his butchering of his own people--that's the kind of thing that most progressives used to care about. We were going to have to deal with him militarily at some time in the future. The possibility--even if people thought it unlikely--that he would use weapons of mass death or provide them to terrorists was just too great a risk."
Still, Bayh rejects the conventional wisdom that cooperation between Hussein and bin Laden was implausible because of religious and ideological differences. "They were certainly moving toward the philosophy that 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Both were hostile to us, and while they historically had reasons not to like each other, that historical skepticism is overridden by the enmity and mutual hostility toward us. These are not illogical ties from their perspective."
* * *
Original story reported in The Weekly Standard by Stephen F. Hayes. Via Instapundit .
"
In Command Post: Irak
Killings in Ramadi: ""Two days before the end of Ramadan, just as they were about to break their fast, the family was interrupted by two groups of US troops from the 82nd Airborne Division, bursting into the house from opposite sides. ...The next day the military returned to the village bringing papers with them. They were sorry but they had raided the wrong house, acting on false information." Jo Wilding writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Rumsfeld cautious on Iraq attacks: "The US defence secretary cautions against early optimism following a fall in anti-coalition attacks in Iraq."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq
Rumsfeld visits troops in Iraq in CNN - War in Iraq
Israel kills two suspected Gaza militants: "The Israeli military shot and killed two Palestinians, armed with grenades and an explosive device, crawling toward a security barrier separating the Gaza Strip from Israel, military sources said Saturday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Funeral for two Iraqis turns violent: "A funeral for two Iraqis killed in a firefight with U.S. troops turned violent Saturday, with mourners killing a security officer and chanting pro-Saddam Hussein slogans over his body."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
South Korea awaits first dead from Iraq: "Kim Young-jin begged her father not to go to Iraq, where he was to lay electric lines."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saudis said to arrest American, Briton: "Saudi authorities have detained an American and a Briton for unspecified reasons, diplomats said Saturday. A Saudi newspaper said the American was the brother of two men convicted in the United States of conspiring to aid the al-Qaida terrorist network."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
