Search results for

Facing fierce Iraqi resistance, U.S. Army troops enter Baghdad from the south, but do not cross the Tigris River into the center of the city. U.S. officials say the three-hour incursion is exercise in psychological warfare; Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart says it is a "clear statement of the ability of the coalition forces to move into Baghdad at a time and place of their choosing." Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten.

The military rescues a U.S. Army prisoner of war in Iraq. The Pentagon confirms that 19-year-old Army Private First Class Jessica Lynch of Palestine, W.Va., has been returned to an allied-controlled area. Lynch was a supply clerk with a convoy that was ambushed on March 23 near the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah. NPR's Nick Spicer reports.

NPR's Joanne Silberner looks at the chronology of events in the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS. It was only three weeks ago that the World Health Organization captured the world's attention by stating the illness posed a world-wide health threat. It said there had been hundreds of SARS cases in Guangdong province, and that the disease had spread to Hong Kong. Then other countries reported cases, mainly among travelers to China and their contacts. There were fears that the relatively rapid spread in China and Hong Kong might signal an epidemic, similar to the flu epidemic of 1918, which killed millions. The situation today looks less frightful, but scientists are still concerned.

U.S. troops seize Baghdad's main airport, 12 miles outside the city. Pentagon officials are pleased with the gains made, but still fear stronger opposition as they move forward. Saddam Hussein appears on TV to exhort the people of Baghdad to fight back. NPR's Bob Edwards speaks with NPR's Nick Spicer.

Scientists studying Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome say the flu-like illness may be caused by a previously unknown form of the corona virus, which is also causes the common cold. SARS has killed more than 80 people and sickened more than 2,400, mostly in Asia. Hear NPR's Joanne Silberner.

American journalist Michael Kelly dies in a reported Humvee accident near Baghdad. Kelly, an editor-at-large with The Atlantic Monthly and columnist for The Washington Post, was embedded with the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division. Kelly is the first American reporter to die in the war. NPR's Robert Smith reports.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with Craig Smith, reporter for the New York Times, in Umm Qasr in southern Iraq. Smith spoke with a Shiite cleric who told him that Ba'ath Party officials in Basra are seeking a way to surrender. The cleric says that the party officials have no support among Iraqi people there and are worried about mob violence against them if they step down.

The U.S. military investigates reports that an American warplane bombed a convoy of Kurdish fighters and U.S. Special Forces soldiers in northern Iraq, killing several people. A BBC reporter traveling with the convoy says he counted at least 10 bodies lying near the burning vehicles. NPR's Liane Hansen talks to NPR's Ivan Watson.

NPR's Jack Speer visits the headquarters of a small company outside Washington, D.C., to see how employees at one firm are managing to follow news about the war and get their work done. Pal-Tech has a diverse workforce, and company management encourages employees to speak freely as a way of easing tensions in the office. Employees say they appreciate the openness but want to know more about what the company is doing to protect them if there is another terrorist event in Washington.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with Owen Bennett-Jones, a BBC reporter, who sailed into the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr on the British supply ship Sir Galahad today. Bennett-Jones talks about the immense security precautions used to guard the Sir Galahad from mines and small crafts as it sailed into port with the first military shipment of relief aid for Iraqis.