Iraq: U.S. takes headquarters of Republican Guard unit

U.S. Army soldiers Saturday captured the headquarters of the Republican Guard’s Medina Division in Suwayrah, about 35 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Two tank companies and an infantry company of the 3rd Infantry Division rolled through the headquarters unopposed and quickly took over the entire base. It appeared that the Republican Guard defenses had completely collapsed.

Kansas: Fort Riley soldier fixes sand-clogging problems

Thousands of miles from the hot desert sands of Iraq, a soldier at Fort Riley has come up with a way to keep weapons free of sand and dust buildup.

As they head to war, soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 13th Armor regiment carry 1-ounce bottles of an oil-free lubricant a staff sergeant found on the Web.

The tank battalion had heard reports of weapons malfunctioning in desert training. The oil-based lubricant attracts sand in desert conditions.

Staff Sgt. Julian Tobin searched the Internet and found a synthetic lubricant called Militec-1, advertised as a “synthetic-based metal conditioner.” The lubricant is moist when applied, but dries as it bonds to metal.

Australia: Australians still without casualties

Australian elite commandos are battling Iraqis in “shoot-and-scoot” missions deep behind enemy lines, air force pilots are pounding enemy positions and navy divers are swimming through murky waters hunting anti-shipping mines.

Yet, each morning of the 16-day-old conflict, Australian military spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan opens his media briefing in Canberra on Australia’s 2,000-strong commitment to the Iraq war with these words: “I’m happy to report there have been no major incidents or casualties in the past 24 hours.”

Washington: Postal Service sees mail to war zone skyrocket

The Postal Service has chartered two cargo jets to help deliver 750,000 pounds of mail per week to soldiers stationed in the war zone.

By the start of the war last month, mail volume to Kuwait had increased 35-fold, up from about 21,000 pounds per week in October, the Postal Service said Saturday.

One of the chartered 747 cargo jets flies six days a week from the East coast. The other flies three days a week from the West coast.

Egypt: Powell says Iraq will be ruled by its people

Iraq should be ruled by its own people and American forces will not invade Syria and Iran after liberating Baghdad, Secretary of State Colin Powell was quoted as saying in an interview published Saturday.

Powell’s comments come as the Bush administration faces criticism over its plans to temporarily govern postwar Iraq.

Some countries that oppose the war have said that reconstruction of Iraq should be guided by the United Nations. Powell said it would be up to the U.N. Security Council to decide what its role would be.