10/29/2004

Video Shows GIs At Weapon Cache
[New York Times, October 29, 2004, Pg. 1]
A videotape made by a television crew with U.S. troops when they opened
bunkers at an Iraqi munitions complex south of Baghdad shows a large supply
of explosives still there nine days after Saddam Hussein's fall.

Munitions Issue Dwarfs The Big Picture
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. 1]
The explosives missing from the Al Qaqaa weapons depot have dominated the
past few days of presidential campaigning, even though they represent just a
tiny fraction of the vast quantities of other munitions unaccounted for
since the fall of Saddam Hussein's government. U.S. estimates indicate that
Iraq had upwards of a million tons of explosives, artillery shells and other
ammo. The Bush administration says about 400,000 tons of munitions have been
or are scheduled to be destroyed, leaving a considerable amount to be found.

Photos Point To Removal Of Weapons
Show truck convoys in Iraq before U.S. invasion
[Washington Times, October 29, 2004, Pg. 1]
U.S. intelligence has obtained satellite photos of truck convoys that were
at several Iraqi weapons sites in Iraq during the weeks before U.S. military
operations began. The pictures indicate that Iraq was moving arms and
equipment from its known weapons sites.

Behind Fallujah Strategy
The U.S. hopes a hard strike on the city will send a message to other
militants.
[Christian Science Monitor, October 29, 2004, Pg. 1]
Fallujah has become a rallying cry for the U.S. military forces. The city's
nationwide insurgency must be dealt a death blow in order to convince other
insurgent-held cities that they must capitulate before the January
elections.

Halliburton Contracts Bypassed Objections
[Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2004, Pg. 1]
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commanders gave Halliburton Co. a lucrative
contract extension this month by circumventing the organization's top
contracting officer, who had objected to the proposal.

IRAQ

Video Shows Slaying Of 11 Iraqi Guardsmen
2 U.S. Soldiers Die in Attacks; Pole Kidnapped
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. 16]
Eleven Iraqi National Guardsmen were shown being murdered in a video posted
on the Internet. Two U.S. soldiers were also killed Thursday, and a Polish
woman became another kidnap victim in Iraq.

Militants Report Killing 11 Captive Iraq Officers And Seizing Woman
[New York Times, October 29, 2004]
The Army of Ansar al-Sunna, an Iraqi terrorist group, posted an Internet
message that shows it killed 11 Iraqi security officers it had been holding
hostage. Another video release by the militants showed that they had also
kidnapped a Polish woman who had been a longtime resident of Iraq.

U.S. Nixes Theory On Missing Weapons
Russia says it didn't take Iraqi explosives
[USA Today, October 29, 2004, Pg. 4]
The Pentagon continues to search for clues about how and when some 380 tons
of high explosives disappeared from the Al Qaqaa weapons facility. State
Department and Pentagon officials dismissed one report that indicated
Russian commandos removed the explosives before the war began to hide
evidence of Russian contractual arrangements with Iraq.

Rumsfeld Suggests Iraq Explosives Moved Before Invasion
[Wall Street Journal, wsg.com, October 28, 2004]
Secretary Rumsfeld suggested the explosives missing from the Al Qaqaa
weapons depot were probably moved before U.S. forces arrived, saying that
any large effort to loot the material afterward would have been detected.

White House Releases Photo Of Weapons Site
[Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2004, Pg. 6]
The Bush administration released a satellite photo that purports to show
prewar "loading activity" outside one of the bunkers where explosives might
have been stored. The March 17, 2003 picture shows a portion of the Al Qaqaa
facility, which has been identified as a storage site for HMX, a powdered
explosive.

Far More Ordnance Lost In Iraq, Sources Say
Far more weaponry than the several hundred tons of explosives believed
looted from Al Qaqaa is missing inside Iraq, sources have said.
[Miami Herald, October 29, 2004]
The explosives missing from the Al Qaqaa weapons depot are but a small
percentage of the vast number of munitions that have disappeared in Iraq
since the war began. Al Qaqaa was one of some 900 known weapons sites that
U.S. experts estimated held more than 650,000 tons of munitions. U.S.
officials say the military has destroyed or secured about 402,000 tons of
munitions, leaving 148,000 tons unaccounted for.

100,000 Civilian Deaths Estimated In Iraq
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. 16]
An effort to determine how many Iraqi civilians have been killed since the
war began puts the number at least at 100,000. The analysis, an
extrapolation based on a relatively small number of documented deaths,
indicates that many of deaths were cause by aerial assaults from coalition
forces. Pentagon officials say they don't keep tallies of civilian
casualties and there is no way to validate the estimates of others. Previous
estimates of civilian deaths in Iraq have never exceeded 16,000. Experts
challenged the new figures, saying the small number of documented deaths
upon which they were based make the conclusions suspect.

This Is Your Last Chance, Fallujah Rebels Are Told As U.S. Prepares Ground
Attack
[London Daily Telegraph, October 29, 2004, Pg. 1]
Iraq's government offered Fallujah a "last" chance to negotiate as an
American commander described the city as a cancer that must be dealt with.
Prime Minister Iyad Allawi indicated that time is fast running out for those
who are harboring insurgents in Fallujah.

Challenges Mount For New Iraqi Troops
[USA Today, October 29, 2004, Pg. 8]
Coalition officials say they have trained over 100,000 Iraqi security
troops, but are still less than halfway to their goal of training and
deploying 272,000 Iraqis by mid-2006. The insurgency that targets newly
trained security personnel makes it imperative that the Iraqis become
quickly able to defend themselves and those they are charged to protect.

Redeployed Britons Set Up Near Baghdad
[Philadelphia Inquirer, October 29, 2004]
An advance party of British troops arrived at their new base near Baghdad,
ahead of the rest of the Black Watch regiment being deployed to the capitol
to provide cover for U.S. troops.

Saddam's Soldiers Reinforce Insurgent Ranks
[London Financial Times, October 29, 2004]
The insurgency in Iraq is being aided by the military skills held by
soldiers from Saddam Hussein's regime, who are joining with foreign fighters
to combat U.S.-led occupying forces.

Iraq To Exhibit Foreign Fighters
The United States will transfer about 20 captives to the custody of Iraq,
which plans to air their names and photos on TV to prove that foreigners are
fighting in Iraq.
[Miami Herald, October 29, 2004]
The U.S. military agreed to hand over legal custody of some suspected
foreign fighters caught in Iraq to the interim government, which has
controversial plans to broadcast the men's names and photos on television.
Prime Minister Allawi's government wants to prove to the Iraqi public that
security forces have captured foreign militants.

Iraqi Minister Says U.N. Is Lax In Providing Election Help
[New York Times, October 29, 2004]
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said U.N. officials are still not
doing enough to help organize elections scheduled for January. He said
Iraqis want "more energy, more enthusiasm, more work" from the U.N. as
elections draw nearer.

Arab States Urge Iraqi Occupation To Take Part In Polls
[London Financial Times, October 29, 2004]
Arab governments have begun informal meetings with Iraqi opposition groups,
including those linked to the insurgency, in an effort to convince them to
participate in parliamentary elections planned for January. The talks are
aimed at promoting dialogue and national reconciliation, with the underlying
fear being that the Sunni-dominated Arab world faces the possibility that
Iraqis could vote in a Shia religious establishment to run their country.

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Military Ballots No 'Emergency'
Some soldiers overseas still wait
[Washington Times, October 29, 2004, Pg. 3]
The Pentagon is taking no last-minute measures in its absentee-ballot system
and the U.S. Postal Service says there are "no delays" in handling the
ballots, despite complaints from some soldiers. Military officials said
problems with the ballot system are not so widespread as to warrant
emergency procedures. Complaints are being handled on a case-by-case basis.

Military Steps Up Washington Security Ahead Of U.S. Election
[DefenseNews.com, October 28, 2004]
U.S. military personnel assigned to the Washington, D.C., area are on alert
against a terrorist attack that might seek to impact the Nov. 2 elections.

GUANTANAMO

Chinese Muslims To Be Freed From Guantanamo
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. 14]
Twenty-two Chinese Muslims held at Guantanamo will be released to a country
other than China because the men don't wish to resettle in China. One
unidentified country has expressed interest in letting the men live there.

NAVY

Carrier Crews To Shrink
[Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, October 29, 2004]
Experiments to reduce crew numbers aboard cruisers, destroyers and
amphibious ships have shown so much promise that the Navy has decided to
take the next step--shrink the size of aircraft carrier crews.

NATIONAL GUARD/RESERVE

Wives Of U.S Troops Share Pain - And Often Politics
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. 1]
Families of Reserve troops serving in Iraq share a common bond--they want
their loved ones to return home safely. They also favor President Bush by
more than a 2-to-1 margin.

CONGRESS

Intelligence Reform Won't Happen Before Elections
[USA Today, October 29, 2004, Pg. 3]
Congressional negotiators are unable to settle differences on intelligence
reform in time to allow for a vote before Tuesday's elections.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Flu Shots For Workers, Military Diverted
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. 14]
The federal government redirected 300,000 doses of the flu vaccine from
federal employees and military personnel to high-risk civilian groups, such
as people older than 65 and those with chronic conditions.

Competitive Sourcing Report Sparks Debate Over Workforce Quality
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. B2]
A report that shows relatively few DoD employees have lost their jobs
because of the "competitive sourcing" program has drawn predictable
criticism from federal union leaders.

AFGHANISTAN

Gunmen Abduct 3 Foreign Election Aides In Afghanistan
[New York Times, October 29, 2004]
Three foreign elections workers in Kabul were kidnapped by armed men. This
first ever kidnapping of foreigners in Kabul raises fears that militants in
Afghanistan may be taking lessons from insurgents in Iraq.

MIDEAST

Showdown Over Nuclear Plans Awaits Election Winner
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. 10]
Whoever wins next Tuesday's election faces a major test with Iran over its
nuclear program. Neither President Bush nor John Kerry has addressed the
possibility that diplomacy may not convince Tehran to halt its nuclear
efforts.

PHILIPPINES

U.S. Will Monitor Military Aid To RP
[Manila Times, October 29, 2004]
The U.S. is monitoring hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to
the Philippines amid a corruption scandal involving a Filipino general.

EUROPE

Curbs On Sonar Use Sought In Europe
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. 2]
The European Parliament urged member nations to suspend the use of
high-intensity sonar during naval maneuvers until research determines what
effect the very loud sounds have on whales and other sea creatures.

ASIA/PACIFIC

U.S. Military Brings Earthquake Relief
[Washington Times, October 29, 2004, Pg. 19]
The U.S. military has offered assistance for the earthquake ravaged Niigata
prefecture in Japan.

AFRICA

Sudan: U.S. Flies Nigerian Soldiers To Darfur
[New York Times, October 29, 2004]
An American military transport flew 47 Nigerian troops to the Darfur region
of Sudan, the first of 3,000 extra Africa Union soldiers who will monitor a
tenuous cease-fire in the region.

NATO

NATO To Train Some 1,000 Iraqi Officers A Year
[Wall Street Journal, wsj.com, October 28, 2004]
NATO will train about 1,000 Iraqi officers per year at the military academy
the alliance will establish outside Baghdad.

TERRORISM

Tape With Terror Threat Is Broadcast
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. 2]
A videotape aired by ABC News shows a purported American member of al Qaeda
declaring that a new wave of terrorist attacks against the U.S. could come
at any moment.

BUSINESS

Iraq Considers Relaunching Airline, To Meet With Boeing
[Seattle Times, October 29, 2004]
Iraqi officials will meet with Boeing executives next week to discuss the
possible purchase of airliners to resume operations of a national airline in
Iraq. Europe's Airbus is also being approached by the Iraqis.

Halliburton Failed To Properly Account For Property, Audit Says
[Bloomberg.com, October 28, 2004]
A Pentagon audit determined that Halliburton Co. could not properly account
for 43 percent of the government property in manages in Kuwait, including
trucks, generators and computers.

OPINION

Updates At NATO
Georgie Anne Geyer
[Washington Times, October 29, 2004, Pg. 20]
NATO, despite the end of the Cold War, still has a vital role to play in
world affairs. Iraq is the only disagreement NATO officials have dwelled on.
And that is mostly a political problem, not something the military cares to
waste time debating.

Weapons For The Taking In Iraq
Jon Lee Anderson
[Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2004]
It appears that well-organized looters got away with almost 400 tons of high
explosives stored at Iraq's Al Qaqaa facility, after it was visited by U.S.
troops in early April 2003. This oversight doesn't seem surprising. U.S.
troops and commanders did not coordinate their efforts, leaving looters to
operate virtually without opposition as the war unwound in Iraq.

Why The House Leaks?
Daniel Schorr
[Christian Science Monitor, October 29, 2004]
Items from Iraq, including the disappearance of tons of high explosives and
the murders of 49 Iraqi National Guardsmen, have put the White House on the
defensive. The Bush administration tries hard to keep things close to the
vest, preferring to let bad news simply disappear. What else might the
public deserve to know?

Letting Down The Troops
Bob Herbert
[New York Times, October 29, 2004]
We haven't given our troops in Iraq a clear mission. They don't know they
are fighting and they don't have the protection they need to survive the
war.

It's Not Just Al Qaqaa
Paul Krugman
[New York Times, October 29, 2004]
The explosives fiasco at Al Qaqaa isn't the only bad news for the Bush
administration just before the elections. Osama bin Laden got away, as
pointed out by John Kerry, because the administration "outsourced" the job
of closing off escape routes to local Afghan warlords. Other situations with
similar failings plague the Bush administration.

Bush Voters In Baghdad
Lawrence F. Kaplan
[Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2004, Pg. 14]
The majority of Iraqis don't care who wins our presidential election. There
is an exception--the thousands of academics, lawyers, right advocates and
other educated elites leading the effort to create a new Iraq want President
Bush to prevail. These are the people most likely to be hurt if John Kerry
is able to "bring the troops home where they belong."

Kerry's Afghan Amnesia
Charles Krauthammer
[Washington Post, October 29, 2004, Pg. 23]
Somehow, John Kerry has managed to cast the amazing success in Afghanistan
into a failure. Kerry uses the term "outsourcing" to cover virtually every
mistake he claims the Bush administration has made in the war on terror.
This presidential election is a choice between one man's
evolution--flip-flopping--and another man's resolve. Kerry has made
Afghanistan a major campaign issue. Fine. Who would you rather have in the
White House? The man who unflinchingly conceived the Afghan plan and carried
it through without wavering until that country achieved democracy. Or the
retroactive genius, who is always ready to proclaim what should have been
done.

Into The Wild Blue Yesteryear
[New York Times, October 29, 2004]
The Pentagon wasted money on the F/A-22 Raptor that could have been better
spent on outfitting our troops in Iraq.

Powell In Asia
[Baltimore Sun, October 29, 2004]
Colin Powell's visit to Asia left the Bush administration's policies
regarding North Korea and Taiwan in disarray. Powell's performance leaves
much doubt about this administration's chances for easing the North Korean
nuclear weapons issue.

The U.N.'s Revenge
[Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2004, Pg. 14]
The U.N. has voted to elect John Kerry as president of the United States. At
least that's what it has tried to do with its proclamation that tons of high
explosives are missing in Iraq. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, has served two terms and wants another when his
present term expires. The Bush administration prefers that U.N. agency heads
serve a maximum of two terms. A Kerry administration might be more amenable
to ElBaradei's quest, especially after this week's events.

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