Replies

CENTCOM - Fri. Apr. 11:

Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks

Regime leadership and contol structures have been broken throughout most of the country..

In general terms, the coalition efforts have centered on increasing security, while looking for remaining bad guys...

We remember and honor our fallen.

Our coalition Spec. Forces had busy day...

Baghdad: Spec. Ops entered Abu Garet prison complex,,,capacity to hold 15,000 prisoners...it was empty...think some were released..

in W. took captive a Iraqi Colonel...who controled border crossing point....Coalition now controls crossing point..

Coal. Spec. Ops had small firefight...after, found 5 small airplanes covered w/ camof....all were destroyed..

Coal. Spec. Fprces supported by Kurds and 173rd Airborne...entered Kirkuk...secured, and secured oil lines....4 of gas plaints and several wells have been secured so far...this oil field like the fields in the s. a key part of Iraqi resources..

Nr. Mosul...accepted surrender...following period of bombing, close air support...cease fire signed by commander...5th corp expected to leave battlefield..many Iraqi forces have removed uniforms and walked home as we requested...

Pics:

Karbala efforts - 101st Airborne entered...university complex...public ed. locations used as storage..found ammo, milit. records...

Baghdad - ops continue to clear remaining elements...our efforts are to increase stability in areas we've moved to...vehicle explosion in NE area...on edge of Saddam City...that and clearance of minefield along highway 8 - over 350 mines harvested...serve as a reminder that Baghdad is a very dangerous place...map shows new areas where we've conducted ops...we know that ops can only be sustained w/ focused logistics effort -

Pic: Nasiryah...small base, mobil for supplies...materials are organized, moved forward in convoys...units that transport supplies able to protect themselves and base....combat systems...like Marine LAR provide security for supply trains...

Continue to commun. w/ Iraqi people...world news telecasts started...added to leaflets and radio broadcast...

Coalition gov. have identified 55 indiv. who must be pursued, killed and captured...does not include those who have already been (killed, capt)....(55 cards in a deck distributed to our troops...mini- wanted "posters"..to help find them)..

We continue to attend needs of Iraqi people that we encounter...pic of doctors treating...video of field med. hospital established nr. An Nasiryah...there is surgical capability in most of these....received water and food rations from coalition and non-coalition nations...and Red Cross..Pics of Kuwaiti delievery, and of vessel - 700 metric tons of food, water coming aboard from United Arab Emirates...video: Nasiryah food delivery...coalition provided...scenes like these are happening more and more throughout the liberated areas of Iraq..

Questions:

"The explosion that occured yesterday...nr. Saddam City...4 Marines and one med. personnel..injured...reminds us that there are threats out there...it will take a lot of time to get that done...re. minefield on highway....that minefield has been cleared...it remains a very dangerous area...we don't believe it was a new minefield...

"There are jokers in this deck there's no doubt about that (the "wanted" bad guys)...re. looting....people are celebrating...it's a tough issue to address...simply putting police on the street is not an easy solution...the Iraqi people have to make some decisions for themselves...(there are locals ding this...help from 'mayors'. etc..)...that will come over time...we have to be patient...we are not exercising a grip over the population (that the regime did)...that is by design...

"As time goes on and more organization occurs in and among the citizens...more things will be controlled by Iraqi population.

"It's a very important outcome that has occured (in most of the areas in the north...there are places we haven't yet been)..while the conventional military force appears to be moving further...away from battle, and that risk to the people subsides...there are (other pockets of bad guys)..Spec. Forces continue...and help of the Iraqi people...

Re. looting in archeological. areas? "We have no reports of looting (in these areas...reminds reporter that regime has placed military equip, abused these sites...)....Basrah...where looting has been reported...bank robbers were not tolerated, were shot...and looting went down a lot...there are certain behaviors that are not tolerated..and the Iraqi people are not tolerating....

"We have a variety of sources...tell us about attempts to leave (escaping bad guys)...we try to look for places where there's likely movement...we take action to prevent that from occuring....re. the 55 bad guys...when we believe a member to be dead...we believe a member of population will confirm....there are some we're not sure (whether dead or alive)..

Re. assassination of Clerics: "We will provide the list in next 24 hours (55 bad guys)...
The unfortunate loss of (Cleric) we find this very disappointing. He was recognized as a leader. He was courageous..we don't have the whole stoyr...we don't want to itnerfere w/ the Iraqi population...we don't believe that (our itnerfering, providing security in this case),..would have been appropriate...we provide (security) whereever we can...as to who (killed him)...we don't know, whether it was a grudge...it could destabilize...we will continue to look into it...seek the assist. of Iraqi population...

Re. Kofi liar ignoring the daily major humanitarian efforts of US!: "W are applying every part of the Gen. Conv. whereve we are...(there are those that don't...some of them are still out there...we would expect behaviors of those ot come to an end...) certainly we (he's going fast...angry, good...detailing the care we provide..)reports of looting of hospital...a very small representation that's getting more attention than it deserves...but (where it creates problems...we provide assistance....socialist anti-American groups like Red Cross and Doctors w/out Borders with a crisis of perspective)..

Re. WMDs...same message as yesterday and day before and day before..."The closer we get to regime elements...the more we find pieces of evidence...mosaic...one piece of evidence...joined w/ other from different time, ..yield more info...very deliberate plan...ongoing ops right now....seeking info from others...that will lead us to more info...it's here...it will take time...

"We believe that Baghdad Int'l Airport can be made useful soon...to bring in (humanitarian aircraft..)...will be done at a degree of risk...we'll do all we can to protect those aircraft...it will be selectively done...soon...

"We've cooperated w/ Mr. Celabi on a number of occasions...he's one of many leaders interested in the future of Iraq...in the interrum between now and (future gov. by Iraqis...we must get rid of bad guys)..so future of Iraq, under Iraqi leaders, can come sooner...(re. Celabi supposedly saying US should have nothing to do w/ Iraqi future accord. to Brit. reporter)...

El Qa'im (sp)...strategically important..."We know it was historically involved (w/ missiles fired on neighbors)..and may be WMD site, also critical crossroads to Syria...we have not secured yet...geographically significant and operationally significant..."

Re. TV broadcasts...electricity? "We recognize that there are some areas that don't have television...we know hat there are (areas they get us...we've controlled one TV station...over a week in some areas...there are some generators...) Radio broadcasts cover whole country ..for some time 5 diff. channels, 24/7...re. assistance...all those that we encounter...we provide assistance...(details...of coalition forces acting courageously to provide assistants..."We're not counting. We're acting."

Re. Saddam..."While we say that the individual is not the most important (focus)...we remain consistant in (focus to remove regime and anything that props the regime up)..we'll attack (key leaders...)..some of them have occured by way fo strikes, some by air...(Saddam) is one of many that we seek to remove from power..and to be certain of it..

Another looting question from a Newsday reporter (let's give em small arms..let the people defend themselves - let the press explode - (mine)) "If the coalition simply imposed control on the population...that would NOT achieve the desired effect...at no point do we see..becoming a police force" (we take actions to achieve stability...will have help from locals, they will build own police...we focus on removing bad guys..)..

Re. seeing the statue come down in Baghdad: "We are pleased that the population saw fit to physically remove the images of Saddam Hussein.." "You know that generals don't have personal feelings.(laugh)..I was personally excited about it...and quickly got over it.."

"We can't be everywhere in the country...on operational level...(dealing with countries that might provide sanctuary for bad guys belongs to other gov. departments).....we look at places where there might be movement...we make it undesirable to move to certain area...try to head things off...re. Iran...no specific info...when people flee for their lives....irrational...I wouldn't rule anything out..."