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Usually 2 or more calendar days worth of news bulletins are packaged together and will appear on this web page depending upon the amount and character of the news. Each page which packages several days of news bulletins has a unique designation in its name, "VOA_n", and a date "01Feb2003". The "n" is a number between 1 and 10, or a bit larger. You can expect the number "1" to contain the first few days of news bulletins for a given month. Then the next number "2" will contain the next few days and so on. Neither the number or the date indicate the exact date of the news bulletins. However the date "01Feb2003" indicates the month of the news bulletins. The entire month of news bulletins is stored under a directory on the server having the date name "01Feb2003". Typically the population of this web page with news bulletins may trail the actual date of those bulletins by no more than one or more days.

Note: Each news article is set out in 3 colored areas. The yellow area provides the headline. The blue area contains location context, HFY article summary, HFY comment, time and credits, and email/printer and streaming audio Urls. The brown area contains the unaltered news item as originally published by our sources such as VOA, BBC, DOD, and others. Some variation to this format may occur.

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The following news bulletins on this web page cover major world events reflecting significant political and social changes for the period Sunday 17-Aug to Tuesday 19-Aug-2003 .

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TIME CHECK — U.S. Army Sgt. Johnny Watts, a military policeman providing security for a convoy from Tallil Air Base, Iraq, to a local orphanage in An Nasiryah, Iraq, Aug. 8, 2003, enjoys time with an orphaned Iraqi boy. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant John Barton 222 U.S. Sailors from More Than 40 Countries Become Citizens By Journalist 2nd Class Kathryn Whittenberger / USS Theodore Roosevelt      ABOARD USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Aug. 18, 2003 (NNS) A group of sailors who had participated in the global war on terrorism became even more patriotic Aug. 15 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt when they took the oath of citizenship.      A record-breaking 222 sailors from more than 40 countries and 65 commands, including the Teddy Roosevelt, formed ranks and became naturalized during the ceremony after having their waiting period, usually up to five years, accelerated under an executive order signed last year for military members. More U.S. Troops' Gifts, Repairs Make A Difference at Iraqi Orphanages  By Airman 1st Class Kara Philp / 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing      AN NASIRIYAH, Iraq, Aug. 15, 2003 (Army News Service) The convoys engines rumble slows to a dull idle. The melodic sounds of a Muslim prayer fill the hot, dusty air of An Nasiriyah, Iraq. A boys orphanage sits empty and quiet.       This somber scene quickly changes as Army and Air Force troops of Tallil Air Base arrive with boxes of surprises.       Inside a rundown concrete building a black and white television displays Arabic writing. A man dressed in traditional clothing welcomes the visiting troops, still clad in their camouflaged body armor.      A quick glance of the facility reveals the tough life for the orphans who call it home. More Defense Officials Identify Army Casualty      WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2003 Defense Department officials announced today that Pfc. David M. Kirchhoff, 31, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died on Aug. 14 in Landstuhl, Germany. Pfc. Kirchhoff suffered a non-hostile injury on Aug. 8 and died on Aug. 14. Kirchhoff was assigned to the 2133rd Transportation Company, U.S. Army National Guard, Centerville, Iowa. The incident is under investigation. U.S. Soldier Killed  By Explosive Device      BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 18, 2003 A 1st Armored Division soldier was killed by an explosive device on August 18, according to U.S. Central Command officials.      The incident took place in the Karadah District at 2p.m. The soldier was medically evacuated to the 28th Combat Support Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 3:15 p.m.      The soldiers name is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin.  Coalition Detains  Former Regime Loyalist      BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 16, 2003 U.S. soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division detained Said Ali Al Karim, a cleric in Baqubah, Aug 11, pending charges of distributing materials to incite violence against coalition forces, funding attacks against coalition forces, and possession of illegal weapons.      U.S. Central Command officials said 4th Infantry Division soldiers conducted a raid on his home August 10. The division had conducted a previous raid on his home July 3. As a result of the information found during the second raid, Said Ali Al Karim was taken into custody. More Reporter Killed  Near Abu Ghyriab Prison      BAGHDAD, Iraq Coalition forces engaged an individual in the vicinity of the Abu Ghyriab prison Aug 17. The individual was later identified as a reporter.       U.S. Central Command officials said the individual was evacuated to the 28th Combat Support Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival.       The individual's name and organization are being withheld pending the notification of next of kin. The incident is currently under investigation. Part Two 'The Straight Scoop' A Seabee’s Firsthand Account of Life in Iraq  Senior Chief Art Messer, a Navy Seabee serving with 22 Naval Construction Regiment (Forward) Task Force Charlie in southern Iraq, shared his perspective on post-war life in Iraq in a series of letters he sent this spring to American Legion Post 45. With Messer’s permission, DefendAmerica now shares his views with you.  Dear American Legion.      Things as usual are going very well. Of course we have the now and again problems but they are subsiding. We have been in Al Kut on the Tigris River for the last two weeks. Prior to that we spent the majority of the War near An Nasiriyah on the Euphrates River.       Up here we're doing humanitarian and base infrastructure work. One of the neat jobs were doing is fixing up a 1912 British cemetery. You see, there was this huge battle here during British colonization. It used to be British custom to bury their war dead on the battle field. All the British troops that lost their lives were buried at this cemetery. If any of you out there are history buffs, I would like to find out more about the story if you have more info.       To make a long story short, the Saddam regime let the cemetery go. It's grown over with weeds and trash was being dumped there. More U.S. Navy Seabees Help Restore Water Flow to Iraqi Crops in Kish By U.S. Army Spc. Melissa Walther / I Marine Expeditionary Force      KISH, Iraq, Aug. 15, 2003 U.S. Navy Seabees helped replace the last vital piece to the irrigation system of the farming community of Kish, Iraq, that has been missing for months on Aug. 15.      Members of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 15, Air Detachment, based in Kansas City, Mo., helped install a 1.3-megawatt generator at the Kish Water Lift Station that provides water to about 50,000 hectares of farmland in the area.      "The people are very positive about this," said Lt. j.g. Dan Niec, NMCB-15 assistant officer-in-charge. "I think this will provide a lot of potential for the area." More Army Clears Path at Palace for Coalition Provisional Authority  By U.S. Army Spc. Chad D. Wilkerson / 372nd Mobile Public Affairs       BAGHDAD, Iraq Five-ton dump trucks, backhoes and bulldozers kicked up 20-foot clouds of dust as U.S. soldiers scooped up and towed off rubble from what were military buildings during Saddam Hussein's regime.      Soldiers from B Company, 94th Engineer Battalion, from Vilseck, Germany, attached to 130th Engineer Brigade, 5th Corps, have taken on part of the security responsibility for the Coalition Provisional Authority at the presidential palace in Baghdad with the teardown and cleanup of unwanted structures. More Military Vets Work Hand-in-Paw To Keep Police K-9s on Patrol By U.S. Air Force Sgt. Stephanie Hall / 4th Public Affairs Detachment       BAGRAM, Afghanistan Military Police working dogs are known as force multipliers to some because one dog can do the job of ten soldiers, so when one dog is sick, it is up the 719th Medical Detachment, Veterinary Services, to get it back on its paws.      I look at every dog, and I see ten soldiers that would be doing the job that this one dog can do, and so we use the term force multiplier, because that is what they do; they multiply the force, said Lt. Col. Patrick E. Phillips, commander of the 719th. More Marines Open Last Legacy  School Before Shipping Home      AN NAJAF, Iraq, Aug. 14, 2003 Dozens of teachers and students in An Najaf, Iraq joined 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Aug. 14 in a ribbon cutting ceremony that marked the last First Marine Division legacy school to be reopened before the Marines return home.      The Al Gary Secondary School for Girls, which was heavily damaged during the war, was the target of a $72,000 renovation that was supervised by the Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, Air Detachment, based in Port Hueneme, Calif. More Linguists Aid Coalition Military Mission, Reconstruction in Iraq By Cpl. Joe Niesen / 350th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment       AR RAMADI, Iraq They come from around the world. Some are American citizens who wish to use their skills to aid the military and humanitarian efforts in Iraq. Some are simply working what they perceive to be a normal job.      Regardless of the reason, the linguists assigned to the various military units in Iraq provide invaluable service to the soldiers and overall success of the mission.      "We are proud to be here, proud to serve. We are a part of history here," said Tony Helou, a category two linguist, currently serving with the psychological operations section at the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment's Rifles Base. More S.C. Nat'l Guard Engineers Score Goal with Youth of Ar Ramadi  By U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary L. Qualls Jr. 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment       AR RAMADI, Iraq Judging from the smiles on their faces, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment engineers are rating high with Iraqi children through a soccer project they are engaged in here.      The South Carolina National Guard, 122nd Engineer Battalion, are emplacing soccer goals at locations throughout the city and have also given the Al Anbar Youth and Sports program here $3,000 to buy uniforms, including shoes, for every child competing in the youth soccer league, which is eventually supposed to encompass all of Al Anbar. In addition, the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion (Abilene, Texas) donated $810 worth of soccer balls to the youth league. More Stopping Illegal Sale   More Photo Essays U.S. soldiers from 2nd Brigade (Strike), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), detain Iraqis for illegally selling diesel fuel on the highways of Iraq on Aug. 3, 2003. Soldiers routinely patrol for illegal sales of diesel and other fuels that are sold on the black market for higher than normal prices than at distribution points during Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Wastler  8 More Photos Marines Weed Out Clunkers to Put Iraqi Police Back on the Road By Army Staff Sgt. David Bennett      CAMP BABYLON, Iraq, Aug. 13, 2003 The makeshift parking area could have been mistaken for any used car lot as drivers maneuvered the sedans, vans and sport utility vehicles into their assigned spots.       Lt. Col. Ed Johnson, special projects manager for Philadelphia, Pa.-based 304th Public Affairs Brigade, viewed the fleet with apprehension as he departed in a white SUV for a test drive.      "See this power window button," he said, pointing to the door of the SUV. "It doesn't work. If an officer had to get out of this vehicle because of a fire, he couldn't do it. That's the kind of stuff were looking for."      With $2.6 million in seized funds, Johnson and fellow civil affairs reservists are in the market for 200 reliable vehicles to hand over to local police departments that are hamstrung by the lack of reliable transportation. More Global War on Terrorism • Myers: U.S. Committed to Full Partnership With Colombia • Prosecutor Seeks Strong Proof Against Accused Terrorists On Iraq • Investigation Determines Firing On Baghdad Hotel Justified • Coalition Deaths Continue in Iraq, Forces Remain Committed Military News • Gen. Wald Says Changed World Drives EUCOM Transformation • National Guard, Reserve Update U.S. Views Quotes by President Bush & other U.S. leaders Defense Views Quotes by U.S. defense leaders Maps of Iraq Maps of the nation of Iraq and the region Women of Iraq U.S. is committed to women's participation in rebuilding Iraq Demining Iraq U.S. is committed to demining program in Iraq America Pays Tribute to the Troops Join the OTF TeamFind an Event America Sends Best Wishes Sign an On-line Thank You Note Things I've Learned So  Far on This Deployment  Capt. Michael Calvert, 350th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, provides a humorous first-person look at what daily life is like in Iraq.      By trade, Im an educator, so I tend to view my experiences as opportunities to learn. There are things that I have learned so far on this deployment. Im not sure if they will be useful later in life, but who knows what applications one will have for knowledge gained?       First, Ive learned that a person can live without a shower. The caveat is that no one wants to live with that person. However, when everyone smells, they sort of cancel each other out. Even the mosquitoes seem to like me better when Im clean. Three cheers for the chemical troops and their field expedient showers. More Iraqi Barbershop For U.S. Soldiers      BAGHDAD, Iraq Its all about presentation. Thats why youre sitting in a cramped room with large mirrors on the wall and clumps of your hair on the floor. You asked for a trim, wanting to keep with the latest trends, yet here you sit with a high-and-tight. Thats OK. Youre in Baghdad after all, and theres no one here to impress anyway.      The Iraqi barber is almost done.      He makes a few fastidious clips, taps his comb, and brushes you off. Then he pulls out a spool of thread. You raise your eyebrows. Youre not interested in anything that involves a thread. What can a man in a barbershop possibly do with a thread? More Iraqis Welcome  Aboard Navy Doctor