U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

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19–011 2003

108th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 108–63

REPORT CONSISTENT WITH THE AUTHORIZATION FOR 

USE OF MILITARY FORCE AGAINST IRAQ RESOLUTION OF 2002

COMMUNICATION

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

A REPORT CONSISTENT WITH PUBLIC LAW 107–243, ‘‘AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE AGAINST IRAQ RESOLUTION 

OF 2002’’

APRIL 29, 2003.—Referred to the Committee on International Relations 

and ordered to be printed 


E:\Seals\Congress.#13
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THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, April 14, 2003. 

Hon. J. DENNIS HASTERT, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: Consistent with the Authorization for Use of 

Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107–

243), the Authorization for the Use of Force Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102–1), and in order to keep the Congress fully 

informed, I am providing a report prepared by my Administration. 

This report includes matters relating to planning for post-liberation 

Iraq under section 7 of the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 (Public Law 

105–338). 

Sincerely, 

GEORGE W. BUSH. 

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REPORT TO CONGRESS 

Submitted consistent with Public Law 107–243: ‘‘Authorization 

for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002’’, April 

14, 2003 

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report covers approximately the period from February 11, 

2003 to April 1, 2003. During this period, the President concluded 

that the United States had exhausted diplomatic efforts to bring 

about the disarmament of the Iraqi regime. On March 18, he made 

available to Congress his determination in connection with the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 

2002 (Public Law 107–243). On March 19, after Saddam Hussein 

and his sons rejected a final opportunity to leave Iraq peacefully, 

the President directed U.S. Armed Forces, operating with other Coalition forces, to commence combat operations against Iraq. The 

President took this action pursuant to his authority as Commander-in-Chief and consistent with the Authorization for Use of 

Military Force Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102–1) and the 

Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 

2002 (Public Law 107–243) to disarm the Iraqi regime by force. 

This military action was designated ‘‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’’ on 

March 20.

II. TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY PLANNING

A. IRAQI INTERIM AUTHORITY

The President supports the establishment of an ‘‘Iraqi Interim 

Authority’’ (IIA) as quickly as practical after the liberation of Iraq. 

While the precise structure of the IIA has yet to be determined, 

certain principles with respect to its role and authority have been 

agreed upon. 

• As early as possible, we support the formation of an IIA, a 

transitional administration, run by Iraqis, until a permanent government is established by the people of Iraq. 

• The IIA will be broad-based and fully representative, with 

members from all of Iraq’s ethnic groups, regions, and diaspora. 

• The IIA will be established first and foremost by the Iraqi people, with the help of the members of the Coalition, and working 

with the Secretary General of the United Nations. 

• Civilian Iraqi leaders will emerge who can be part of such an 

IIA. 

• The IIA will progressively assume more of the functions of government. 

• It will provide a means for Iraqis to participate in the economic 

and political reconstruction of their country from the outset. 

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B. FUTURE OF IRAQ PROJECT

Background. Planning for post-Saddam Hussein Iraq has been 

ongoing for nearly a year through the State Department’s Future 

of Iraq project. The project, announced in March 2002, brings together experts from the Iraqi exile community, free Iraqis living in 

northern Iraq, and international experts, in order to address practical planning issues of concern after regime change. Drawing on 

the resources of a community uniquely positioned to understand 

the underlying complexity of Iraqi society, the Future of Iraq 

project has better prepared not only United States Government 

planners, but also the Iraqi exiles themselves, to deal with the 

challenges Iraq faces after regime change. We expect that the Iraqi 

population, as it debates the nation’s future, will be able to draw 

upon the work done by this small group which, being outside the 

country, has had the opportunity to meet and think freely about 

the nation’s future. 

Recent Developments. The Future of Iraq project continues to 

hold working group meetings and to undertake immediate, practical post-regime change planning projects, such as transitional justice, public health, democratic principles, public finance, education, 

environment and water, the economy and infrastructure, local government, oil and energy, the role of the military, free press, and 

civil society. The results of the working groups have been fed into 

several interagency planning groups and made available to the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) for its 

postwar planning efforts. 

C. ESF FUNDING OF IRAQI OPPOSITION

Background. Economic Support Funds (ESF) have been used to 

aid opposition groups, support efforts to hold regime leaders accountable for their crimes, provide humanitarian relief to the people of Iraq, and support planning for Iraq’s transition to democracy. 

These activities are all critical elements in laying the foundation 

for a free and democratic Iraq. 

Recent Developments. In February 2003, the State Department 

awarded a supplement of $7 million to the Iraqi National Congress 

to continue support for a variety of activities, including its newspaper and satellite TV broadcasts through July. The State Department has also provided roughly $2 million per year since FY 99 in 

support of war crimes investigation and documentation. In addition 

to the State Department’s funding for war crimes investigations, 

the Defense Department will provide critical support to identify 

and prosecute Iraqi war criminals. The State Department further 

intends to provide up to $3 million in additional emergency preparedness and response assistance to meet the humanitarian needs 

of Iraqis outside the control of the current regime. ESF support for 

the ‘‘Future of Iraq’’ project was $5 million in FY 02 and an additional $3.5 million is anticipated from the FY 03 appropriation. 

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III. RELIEF AND RECONSTRUCTION PLANNING

A. OFFICE OF RECONSTRUCTION AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

The Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance was 

established on January 20, 2003. Its mission is to plan for, and, in 

a post-hostilities environment, assist in administering Iraq for a 

limited period of time, with the objective of the immediate stabilization of post-war Iraq. Under the direction of Retired Army 

General Jay Garner, ORHA is organized around three core functions: humanitarian assistance; reconstruction; and civil administration. Its staff includes personnel from all relevant U.S. agencies 

and departments. While hostilities in Iraq have continued, ORHA 

staff have been conducting final planning and coordination in Kuwait. They have been working to establish lines of coordination 

with U.N. specialized agencies and other international institutions, 

our Coalition partners, bilateral donors, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). As soon as conditions permit, they will start 

their work in Iraq. Upon deployment to Iraq, ORHA’s tasks will include assisting with humanitarian relief and facilitating the country’s reconstruction. A key U.S. priority will be to assist with the 

reestablishment of key civilian services, so as to demonstrate rapid 

improvements in the lives of the Iraqi people. To the extent possible, existing Iraqi ministries, infrastructure and civil servants 

will be called on to perform their functions. It is anticipated that 

Iraqis currently living outside the country, bringing technical skills 

as well as experience in democratic societies, will also have an important role. The ultimate goal for the United States is to support 

a rapid transition of control of Iraq to the Iraqi people. 

B. HUMANITARIAN RELIEF PLANNING

Background. Decades of misallocation of resources and wars of 

aggression against its neighbors by the regime of Saddam Hussein 

have left the Iraqi population in a precarious humanitarian situation, inconsistent with the country’s natural wealth and human potential. We are especially concerned that the remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime will continue to use Iraqi civilian populations 

as a shield for its regular and irregular combat forces or may attack the Iraqi population in an effort to undermine Coalition goals. 

Coalition planners have prepared for these contingencies, and have 

designed the military campaign to minimize civilian casualties and 

damage to civilian infrastructure. However, we recognize that the 

Iraqi population is vulnerable to humanitarian crises as a result of 

this conflict. Meeting the immediate humanitarian needs of the 

Iraqi people, particularly those displaced as a consequence of war, 

is a critical first step in assisting Iraq to build itself into a viable 

and prosperous democracy. 

Recent Developments. The United States Government is committed fully to providing humanitarian assistance to the people of 

Iraq—to save lives, alleviate suffering, and mitigate the impact of 

emergency situations. For the last several months, various United 

States Government agencies and departments have been planning 

for a possible humanitarian emergency by: • Assembling and training the largest-ever U.S. humanitarian rapid response team; 

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• Pre-positioning stockpiles of emergency supplies and commodities; • Communicating and coordinating with U.S. and international humanitarian organizations; and • Funding international organizations and NGO preparatory 

efforts. 

The U.S. response will rely heavily on international and non-government relief professionals to deliver assistance. 

For instance, the largest Disaster Assistance Response Team 

(DART) in U.S. history—outside of an Urban Search and Rescue 

response—has been recruited. It is headquartered in Kuwait City 

and will have three mobile field offices. The DART will conduct assessments, direct assistance towards vulnerable populations, and 

provide funding to the 10 and NGO providers. 

The DART is comprised of more than 60 humanitarian response 

experts from various agencies and departments, including USAID; 

the State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM); and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Public Health Service. 

In addition to technical experts in areas such as health, food, 

water, and shelter, the DART has grant-making authority and includes administrative officers covering logistics, transportation, and 

procurement, enabling the team to function as a turnkey response 

mechanism for assessment and funding in the field. 

In addition, USAID has funded a significant contingency coordination effort for many NGOs preparing to assist in Iraq called the 

Joint NGO Emergency Preparedness Initiative, offering support for 

the latter’s assessment, logistics, stockpiling, and staffing needs. 

PRM funding has been provided to support the contingency preparations and early response requirements of international humanitarian organizations. 

USAID is pre-positioning emergency supplies for the Iraqi people, including material in warehouses throughout the region. In addition to pre-positioned and in-transit food, these supplies include 

wool blankets; rolls of plastic sheeting for emergency shelter; personal hygiene kits; World Health Organization Emergency Health 

Kits; and water jugs, bladders, containers, and treatment units. 

DART areas of expertise include: 

• Health and medicines; 

• Water and sanitation; 

• Food and nutrition; 

• Shelter and supplies; 

• Internally displaced persons; 

• Humanitarian assistance infrastructure; and 

• Refugees and asylum seekers. 

USAID has allocated $154 million for Iraq humanitarian relief, 

food distribution, reconstruction, and transition initiatives. Of that, 

approximately $35 million has been spent to date, with $17.3 million having been spent on pre-positioning relief supplies. 

PRM has spent an additional $36.63 million for prepositioning 

and early response requirements by international organizations, including $21 million to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, 

$10 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross, $3 

million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red CresVerDate Jan 31 2003 18:36 May 01, 2003 Jkt 019011 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HD063.XXX HD063
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cent Societies, and $2.63 million to the International Organization 

for Migration. Additional funds are in the pipeline. USAID has also 

provided contributions to U.N. agencies, including $2 million to 

UNICEF for emergency health kits, and nutrition and water/sanitation activities; $5 million to the World Food Program for food and 

logistics measures; and $1.2 million to the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for NGO and donor coordination. Support to NGOs has been provided to establish a consortium 

to conduct chemical/biological/radiological/nuclear training. 

On March 28, 2003, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed UNSCR 1472. This resolution authorizes the Secretary-General to take certain steps regarding the Oil-for-Food program to make it possible for shipments of food and other humanitarian goods to the Iraqi people to resume. The Secretary-General 

may spend Iraqi funds in the U.N. escrow account to pay: milling 

and delivery expenses for food that were formerly borne by the 

Iraqi regime; purchase food locally; reprioritize existing contracts; 

and place new orders for medicines with approval of a U.N. committee. 

C. RECONSTRUCTION PLANNING AND IRAQI DEBT

Background. The President recognizes that after the humanitarian situation in post-war Iraq is stabilized, the task of helping 

Iraqis transform their regime into a viable representative government will begin in earnest. This transformation is critical to ensuring that the threat posed by an aggressive authoritarian Iraq 

wielding weapons of mass destruction is not resurrected in a different guise. The President has included funds for Iraq’s reconstruction in his supplemental budget request to Congress. These 

funds will provide a critical component in restoring Iraq’s civilian 

infrastructure and improving the lives of the Iraqi people. 

Recent Developments. As part of our planning for a post-conflict 

Iraq, the United States Government is prepared to mobilize significant development resources and technical assistance in four key 

areas: 

1. Restoring Economically Critical Infrastructure. Reconstruction 

efforts will rehabilitate critical infrastructure to help maintain stability, ensure the delivery of essential services, and facilitate economic recovery. Iraq’s airports, roads, and ports will be rehabilitated to meet the needs of its citizens and facilitate transportation 

of humanitarian assistance, as well as commercial imports and exports. Potable water and sanitation services will be reestablished 

to prevent disease. These efforts also will restore the power supply 

to health and educational facilities, water supply facilities, and infrastructure that contribute to the local economy and employment 

generation. 

2. Supporting Essential Health and Education Services. We will 

help restore basic healthcare services to vulnerable populations and 

focus on strengthening the national education system. Programming will include the delivery of essential drugs, equipment, and 

supplies to health facilities, and will assist in health and disease 

assessment. Health programs also will supply health information 

and education to the public, build the management capacity of 

Iraqi counterparts, and promote fair and open access to health 

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services. Education programs will increase access to primary and 

secondary public education for Iraqi children, promote retention of 

students in the classroom, strengthen school administration, and 

develop re-entry programs for out-of-school youth. 

3. Expanding Economic Opportunity. Reconstruction efforts will 

seek to encourage the development of a competitive private sector, 

generate employment opportunities, and improve agricultural productivity. Activities will include: extending credit to small and 

micro-enterprise businesses; developing local, regional, and international business networks; and providing workforce development 

and training. Agricultural assistance will supply agricultural inputs for the spring and winter planting season and address livestock and poultry diseases. Additionally, farmers will be trained to 

use modern agricultural technologies to enhance yield, profitability, 

and competitiveness. 

4. Improving Efficiency and Accountability of Government. Reconstruction programs will foster social and political stability by 

helping meet citizens’ basic needs within their communities. Programming will provide Iraqis with the opportunity to participate in 

public decision-making. Technical assistance will strengthen the capacities of local administrations to manage and deliver services 

such as potable water, education, and healthcare. Programming 

will be structured to support the development of local and national 

NGOs and civil society organizations. 

Since January 31, USAID has undertaken eight contracting activities. One contract, which is for personnel support, was awarded 

to the International Resources Group, Ltd., on February 21, and 

seven additional contracts are pending. Four requests for proposals 

(RFPs), dealing with seaport administration, airport administration, capital construction, and theater logistical support, were 

issued on February 12. In addition, a public health RFP was issued 

on March 3, and primary and secondary education and local governance RFPs were issued on March 4. This is only a partial list 

of the reconstruction projects envisioned for Iraq, and does not include other projects which may be undertaken by other U.S. agencies and departments, under the auspices of ORHA, or by other 

governments. 

These are contingency contracts that will only be implemented in 

the event that the work indicated is required. The urgent need for 

these contracts has prompted the United States Government to follow specific guidelines that permit the agency to utilize an expedited procurement process. Only those companies that meet specific 

criteria are invited to apply. These criteria include: demonstrated 

technical capabilities; proven accounting mechanisms; ability to 

field a qualified technical team on short notice; and where applicable, clearance to handle classified information. 

In addition, the United States Government will continue to work 

through partnerships with NGOs, international relief agencies, and 

U.S. universities. USAID values the hands-on approach of these organizations’ community development programs and expects to see 

a substantial NGO and international relief agency role in Iraq. Reconstruction efforts will also include contacts and partnerships between Iraqi and U.S. educational institutions. 

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The Treasury Department will be active in assisting in the formulation and execution of Iraqi economic policies. Using its technical assistance advisors, Treasury will focus on restoring essential 

operations of the Finance Ministry, the Central Bank, the commercial banks, and the stock market. A crucial near-term challenge 

will be paying civil servants, teachers, and pensioners in a fair, orderly, and prompt manner. 

The Administration is also investigating options for helping a 

post-conflict Iraqi Government deal with its financial vulnerability, 

including Iraq’s very large national debt. We will work with the 

international community (including international financial institutions and Iraq’s creditors), to understand Iraq’s overall financial 

situation, to recognize legitimate claims on Iraq, and to find ways 

to assist with Iraq’s pressing need for the resources necessary to 

rehabilitate itself. 

IV. MILITARY OPERATIONS

Current coalition military operations to disarm Iraq commenced 

on March 19, 2003. The Coalition consists of 49 countries that have 

publicly aligned themselves with our goal of disarming Saddam 

Hussein. The deployment of U.S. Armed Forces to Iraq continues 

as necessary to support the conduct of ongoing military operations. 

As the President has indicated previously, it is not possible to know 

at this time either the duration of active military operations or the 

scope or duration of the deployment of U.S. Armed Forces necessary to accomplish our goals fully. Officials from the Defense Department are providing Congress with daily updates on the status 

of military operations in closed briefings. The State Department 

and the Central Intelligence Agency are also providing daily updates to Congress on the status of their activities that relate to Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

V. FREE IRAQI FORCES

Background. Consistent with the authority of the Iraq Liberation 

Act of 1998, the United States Government conducted a training 

program to prepare Iraqi exiles from around the world to participate in military operations inside Iraq. Free Iraqi Forces (FIF) volunteers received four weeks of training at a military base in 

Taszar, Hungary. Under the instruction of a U.S. Army Training 

Task Force, they were taught basic battlefield self-protection techniques, and prepared to serve alongside U.S. forces in combat support roles as translators, guides, and experts in civil affairs. FIF 

volunteers from North America and Europe have completed the 

training and deployed to the Persian Gulf, where they are integrated fully with U.S. forces under General Tommy Franks, Commander, U.S. Central Command. 

Recent Developments. Since the war began, FIF participants 

have provided critical assistance to U.S. forces. They have given 

tactical commanders extensive briefings on conditions in various 

parts of Southern Iraq, and have already served as effective liaisons with local populations in areas under U.S. military control. 

One FIF member serving with the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion 

team in Nasiryah managed to uncover and translate the records of 

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the local Ba’ath Party, providing an important intelligence coup. 

Another volunteer, while assisting the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade 

provide humanitarian relief in Umm Qasr, persuaded two Iraqi soldiers intermingled with the civilian population to surrender. The 

men had been trained in Baghdad to serve as suicide bombers targeting American or British soldiers. But upon hearing Coalition objectives explained to them in Arabic, by a fellow Iraqi, they abandoned their mission and gave themselves up to U.S. forces. 

The FIF program is showing the world that Iraqis everywhere 

are united against Saddam Hussein’s tyranny and willing to make 

great sacrifices to help liberate their country. FIF members have 

played an important role in the war thus far, and they will continue to help in the effort to build a free and democratic Iraq.

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