Iraq: July 24, 2003

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The FBI has interviewed some 10,000 Iraqis living in the United States (some citizens, some not) and obtained useful information on the location of at least 200 bunkers, weapons sites, communications facilities, Baath Party leaders and other significant targets. Although most of the Iraqis in America had been out of Iraq for years, when many individual bits of information were put together, useful leads emerged. Despite the benefits for Sunni Arabs in Iraq working for the Saddam government, many fled Iraq out of fear. Saddam's primary means of control was fear, and it affected many of those who were running the system. You never knew who was going to get accused of something (and executed) next.

Dental and medical records were used to confirm that two of the men killed in a Mosul raid on the 22nd were Saddam's sons Uday and Qsay. Captured members of Saddam's staff also identified the bodies. Pictures of the dead men are going to be released to try and stamp out rumors that Saddam's two sons were not killed and this was all another nefarious American plot to deceive the Iraqi people. These types of rumors seem to be more popular than reality among many Iraqis, which may explain some of the problems Iraq has had over the last few generations. 

Iraqis attacked members of the 101st Airborne division in Mosul with RPGs, Three Americans were killed.

Of the coalition's 156,000 troops in Iraq, 148,000 are American. Most of the others are British. The American troops include 2,400 Special Forces. In the Fall, a multinational division under Polish command will arrive to relieve the U.S. Marine division. New American Army units will arrive to allow the 3rd Infantry division to return to the United States. 

So far, all 22 of the universities in Baghdad are open, as well as 72 percent of the banks. 

 

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