DEBKAfile Headlines - April 9, 2003

White House: War Not Over

DEBKAfile’s special sources reveal: CIA officers picked up Saddam Hussein’s family dentist with patients’ records after Wednesday midnight. A dental match would positively identify any remains found in crater left by Monday’s bombardment of suspected command bunker in Baghdad

Iraqi UN ambassador Al-Douri concedes his country has lost war: “The game is over.” Ambassador seeks asylum

White House Spokesman Fleischer stresses war is not over, US still in middle of military mission and no one has surrendered. Even if Saddam found war will go on up until victory.

Rumsfeld warns that despite serious blow to Iraqi regime, fighting continues in Baghdad and other places. WMD has not been found, Saddam and sons not accounted for, northern oil fields may be wired for destruction, oil cities unsecured.

Defense secretary leveled charge against Syria: Senior Iraqi officials move in and out of Syria, which facilitates their stay and their “moves to other places”

First of 5,000 Israeli reservists called up for Iraq emergency released, including air defense teams. Israel defense authorities will review state of national preparedness for WMD attack Thursday.

US Marine tanks rolling into central Baghdad greeted by crowds. Joyous scenes spread to Kurdish towns and villages in north

DEBKAfile Middle East sources report exclusively:

US special operations forces have sabotaged Kirkuk-Banias pipeline cutting flow of illegal Iraqi oil exports smuggled through Syria. Damascus notifies buyers that 2003 supply diminished by 40pc, equal to 240,000bpd – exactly the quantity that Iraq previously pumped through.

Gen. Myers: US special forces have captured town near Mosul.

Early signs of civic disorder, looting and vandalism in Iraqi cities as Saddam regime loses control to coalition forces. Worst riots in Basra spread Tuesday to parts of Baghdad, Irbil and other places. Undercover Iraqi agents believed stirring up street violence and breakdown of order.

British forces hold discussions with Shiite tribal leader in Basra on new committee to administer city. His name has not been released.

Lebanese Hizballah directs several rounds of cross-border anti-air shellfire into northeast and northwest Israel Tuesday.

DEBKAfile’s military sources: US forces have bisected Baghdad. Read War Diary below

Kofi Annan calls off European tour without explanation, will not attend French-German-Russian summit in St Petersburg Saturday. DEBKAfile sources in New York: UN Secretary disinclined to antagonize Washington by openly lining up with anti-war, anti-US bloc

Mounting Moscow-Washington animosity following Bush adviser Rice’s visit to Moscow on April 6 and tough conversation with Putin. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov cancels Thursday visit to US