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CENTCOM - Mon. Apr. 14:

Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks:

"Gradually the indications of everyday life are returning in Iraq."

"The free Iraqi people are making their voices heard."

"The coaltion is focused on creating conditions for longterm security..

We continue to remember those gave their lives.

The presence of (spec. forces) in Mosul Irbil and Kirkit 173rd Ariborne and (5th?) Mar. Exp. ....

Secured all northern oil fields...

Spec.. ops nr. Hadithah dam...met with firefighters to extinguish a plant fire...started over a week ago...video showing fire being extinguishes ...coalition forces and Iraqis (working together)...

Many examples throughout country of coalit. forces and Iraqis working together (to rebuild country)..

Spec. Ops in Bagdhad support. land component...these Spec. Ops also provide assist. to Iraqi people...pic. of two brothers who asked the med. team for help for sister w/ cancer...meds. tried to provide relief..earned thanks...scenes like these repeated (everywhere coalition is)..

In Baghdad and n. or Baghdad...land component Baghdad to Tiikrit...force met little resistance in Baqubah and Samallah...on way to Tikrit...the attack conintued...first efforts to isolate Tikrit...this morn entered Tikrit...secured palace there..

Elsewhere...disposing of ammo, etc...offered led to by locals...12 SAMs and 6 helicopt. found nr. Baath Party hq, 56 trucks loaded w/ ammo., etc....the coalition is working diligently...to restore functions and distribute aid...

The land component...organized several teams of engineers....Baghdad...electrical plant and water treatment plant...coalit. engineers and senior Iraqi engineers are working together to restore power to city...

Citizens are becoming more active in all areas of Iraq..helping to restore order...joint patrols initiated...over 200 volunteers join coalit. forces, tribal leaders are establishing coalitions of multiple tribes...Karbala...local police force established...these effots continue to mulitply

"Electric power and water...remain the key needs....pic.. of water purif. experts..Marines working w/ local Iraqis...when we can't immed. repair structures...we provide need...virtually any water source can be used to generate pure water....show pics of water purif. system..

"We continue efforts to establish med care throughout Iraq...US Naval ship Comfort has over 100 non-combat. being treated....medical supplies are being brought in...hospitals being secured....existing med. resources are being distributed...video of forces...loading and moving boxes of med. supplies....flown into Baghdad by C-130s at night....

Pics...of civil affairs soldiers working w/ med. staffs to assess needs at hospitals....coalition still provides immed. med. care when it's required...

Questions:

We find that these volunteers are hear to protect Iraqi people but the Iraqi people (inform us differently)..they notify us where (pockets may exist)...we don't ahve a good (idea of the munber)...but we do know that they don't have a future in Iraq...

"...Over 300 vests we've found ..there are indications that some have been removed..over 80 have not been accounted for...

Individuals are willing to carry on acts of violence...

"The card deck is still full however we do continue to identify (those that may not still be in play)..

"There are certainly reports that a number of prisoners are somewhere in Iraq from previous (conflicts..both Gulf War and Iraq Iran..).our efforts continue to follow leads on anyone that's still accounted for....

"Re. Tikrit...securing palace and bridge, Gen. Conv..- "are we the occupying power?" "The ops in Tikrit...less resistance than we anticipated...(we knew there had been indic. of SRG, etc)...there is equipm. in area...but not much resistance...came after period of focused (air fire) over last couple of weeks....and spec. ops raid (happened 48? hours ago)...we did not find any forces defending presid. palace...(not signif) ...we are interacting w/locals to obtain into...re, Gen. Con....a bit premature to declare status...will...in next couple days....we are still a liberating force...much of what we're doing (is in coop. w/ Iraqi people)...what final legalistic decisions we make will be forthcoming...

Re. Michael Speicher, and recent POWs "We remain hopeful that we can recover our missing warrior. we don't have any additional info...any leads we were certainly follow...there are indicat. out there....(others )also looking for their people...as to the recovery of POWs...don't know how separation occured (why PFC Lynch was separated..) after we get good med. asses...we also find out what they know..these are warriors out there...

"We are doing deliberate examinations of several sites...(re. Saddam's DNA)...this is something that will be ongoing action...we don't have anything to report at this point...work is ongoing..I wouldn't hear about that until the sensitive site is completely examined and explored....(anything having to do w/ regime...not just leaders themselves..)..

Re. currency w/ Saddam's pics "Right now there is not a new currency in use....there's a need for paying people, (etc.) in due time...as Iraqis orgainize interrum gov...we'll see many of these questions answered (not going to be done by CENTCOM)...

"Military work is not at a close....it will not be in response to organized regime effort. It's a transition point...all of our objectives (have to be completed)...we'll stay just as long (as it takes to get the job done and no longer)..

"We've done a number of things not the least of which is an open forum like this for ALL the world's (media)..every nation represented has a diff. perspective....we've seen a number of things that indicate that there is a bright chance of a future...

"I cannot report that we have found any...we certainly remain very interested (Re.Kuwaiti POWs)...

Re. RG not fighting in Tikrit - "First, military assessment is that we were effective in our ops...we made efforts to isolate units so that they could not be linked to other units...we attacked their capability directly...we also attacked their will...communicated directly to them...telling them ..(it was not worth) fighting for a dying regime...told they need to make a choice because we are going to continue ops (til remain is gone...)...

Re. "We saw a nubmer of people walk off the battlefield...from the earliest days of the war...to the last days...so where are they now? There may be some leaders in hiding...in due time they will be retrieved...held accountable...but many others were..part of regime they didn't believe in...their role is whatever they choose it is in the future...we'll get more info re. those who were tainted (locals will narc)...

Re. oil..."While we kept things success. intact...it's not going to happen right away...assessment needed (first)...repair work, breaks in line, capacity of flow...Kuwaiti and Iriaqi oil workers helping to make assessm. and restore...in the north...looks better...put into safe modes...may indeed be less (repair) work needed....we think it will be weeks before (oil's available)...oil system's been neglected by regime for a number of years...the potential is much greater ...(than what has been done previously)...

"The foreign fighters we're seeing...we've seen the whole gamut...early on, mixed in w/ regime death squads, RG....many of them were soundly defeated, severe losses....(seen also) as last hold outs..at ambush points...(also at Mosque a few days ago)..also see indiv. willing to attack the coalition as individ...(homicide bombers)..a whole range of tactics are being applied...tactics of terrorism...people (doing this are at best mercenaries...there is no role for them)...

"We know that we were successful at preventing firing on neighboring countries (details of missiles detroyed by us)..".we were successful in that - not letting the regime expand the conflict"...

Re. Syrians why single out? "Because we're seeing them int eh greatest density...we also know that there were attempts to enter from Syria...and recruiting from Syria...whether it's something done by (the Syrian) gov...we don't know...

"Our engagement w/ people in Tikrit (is like it is everywhere else)..s. of Tikrit, in Samar(?)ah...Marines advanced...had contact w/ another platoon-sized element and destroyed it...people came out wi/ flowers, prison guards came forward and said "we've got something to show you.".."the people of the city remain treated w/ respect"....

"We're still on plan. We are. At the operation level...you lay out a plan, it has certain objectives to be accompl...the dynamics...at the tactical level are subject (to local exist. conditions...)...there may be fights that occured where you didn't expect...(and fights you expect that don't)..absolutely we are on plan..and we remain on plan. (ops transition to helping Iraqi people make their own way)...weeks not months..."The plan was sound from the start. The plan is working and we remain on plan..."